


Discoveries and New Beginnings

by Word_Smith_94



Series: A Demon's Angel [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angels vs. Demons, Childhood Sexual Abuse, F/M, Growing Up, Hand Jobs, Kissing, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Oral Sex, Past Rape/Non-con, Pedophilia, Sexual exploration, Slow Burn, Tail Sex, Wing Kink, helping people, self exploration
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 13:57:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 83
Words: 182,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16812007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Word_Smith_94/pseuds/Word_Smith_94
Summary: Sam has a plan together, and he's going to build a shelter to help the humans rescued from Hell. He knows he can do this, and he is going to wait for approval; he's going to get it. When Gabriel agrees to work with him, Sam jumps on it, appreciating a friend the powerful support. But when new emotions change how he sees Gabriel and demons start attacking his shelter, Sam has to learn how to manage a world that isn't as organized and regulated as a library?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go. I said I'd get a Sabriel story put together, and this is it. Like last time, new chapters will come every three days. We are going into the holidays though, and life can get crazy, so subscribing will be the best way to stay up to date. Comments are great because I love feedback to help improve the story. Anything you want to see, let me know, and I'll see what I can do. The focus is Sam at the start, but the rest of the characters will come up again too. And there will be some loving Destiel scenes too. I love them too much not to. Thanks for being patient with me, and hope you like this as much as the first story. 
> 
> Also, I'm looking for a beta reader or two, someone to read through things before they're posted. If you're interested, please email me at wordsmith94ao3@gmail.com.

Sam looks at the books and tomes spread across the table, journals filled with hundreds of scribbles and ideas and reasonings. He’s been researching this, looking into it for so long that he can’t believe that he’s ready to talk about it again, for good. Even if they don’t think his idea will work, Sam knows that they won’t make him feel bad or stupid, but this is his baby, and he can’t bear the idea of them shooting him down. 

First hurdle, Dean. If he likes it, Sam can take it to Castiel. Sam is sixteen now, years older than he was when he faced the Council of Seraphim, but that doesn’t make him any less of a minor, especially in a culture when children can live with their parents well into their hundreds. Anything he wants to do, he’ll have to clear it with Castiel. 

And technically Michael too, but he’s going to try and go around him because he’s not going to wait ten years. 

The third hurdle will be Gabe. Sam knows Gabe likes him, the past four years hanging out together are proof of that, but he also knows that Gabe won’t support something he doesn’t like. Millennia refusing to serve as a warrior proves that. He really, really hopes that Gabe still likes his proposal because he really wants to work with Gabe but also because it never hurts to have an archangel supporting you. 

Especially when potentially going up against Michael. 

A slamming door and peals of laughter announce Dean’s arrival. He’s been training as a warrior with other angels recently while Castiel works down in Hell, so it’s been pretty quite. Sam takes some time to clean up his work space, giving Dean time to shower, then heads back to Dean’s room. 

The scent of the mated couple is overwhelming, and Sam activates the charm he keeps on a necklace. It dulls all scents before they reach his nose, the only way to be near their room without wanting to throw up. He knocks on the door frame, door open, and waits for Dean to stick his head out from the closet. 

“Hey, Sammy! What’s up?” He’s been so busy training that he hasn’t had as much time to spend with his brother. Sammy better be eating enough and taking care of himself. Dean makes a mental note to check in on the kitchen and make sure the food is going down, proof that Sam has been eating. 

“I have a project,” Sam explains, wishing he had a spell to block his scent to hide his nerves, “and I wanted to run it by you.”

Dean frown, totally confused. “Just a sec.” He wiggles his ass with a little jump to get his panties up then pulls on a tunic for speed and ease. Leaving the closet, he tosses an arm around his brother’s shoulders and heads to the library. “Okay. Lay it on me.”

“Do you remember the shelters that I mentioned?” Sam asks, wrapping his arm around Dean’s waist. He’s practically the same height as his older brother now, and he’s not sure how he feels about that. “I’ve been working on it even more, polishing it up, and I wanted to run it by you before showing it to Castiel.” 

“Gotcha.” Dean thinks Sammy’s getting worried over nothing; if he’s been working hard, it’ll be fine. But Sammy gets nervous, and since this will be something that all of angelic society will hear about, Dean can understand it, so he keeps his instinctual brotherly need to tease under wraps. 

“Here.” In the library, Sam hands Dean a sheet of paper, the most concise explanation/outline that he has. He has so many ideas scattered all over his journal that pulling together something short and simple for others to review was harder than he thought it would be. Nervous and wanting to pace off those nerves, Sam sits on his hands to stay still and not distract Dean while he reads. 

Dean reads through the whole page, tripping over a few words in Enochian he doesn’t recognize, but he understands enough. “This looks good.” He smiles up at Sammy, hoping to calm him down from rocking in his chair. The nerves are pouring off his brother. “You’ve really got this all planned out?”

“Yes.” He can relax a little now that Dean has approved of his plan. “I’ve got locations in mind, kind of, a few people to talk to about work, about being staff, plans for supplies and suppliers, security, all of it. At least, everything that I’ve thought of. I’m sure that for everything I’ve figured out, I’ve forgotten something.” The biggest variable is staffing. He has some ideas for who to talk to, but he's always willing for better advice from people who really know the angels.

Sam wants this to work, but he has to be realistic about it too. He’s going to deal with people who have just been victimized, and helping them become survivors won’t be easy. Castiel provided what he needed in terms of physical needs and did his best with emotional needs, and Sam wasn’t even the main victim while they were in Hell, so he doesn’t really know what they’re feeling or everything that they need. 

He’s going to his absolute best, but it won’t be easy.

“Sounds like you’ve got a good handle on it.” Dean smiles at the image of Sam in charge of a string of shelters, helping people. Instead of sneaking around behind their backs, enchanting swords in secret, he’ll be able to openly help people. “So, hamburgers for dinner? You’ve got this, but it never hurts to butter Cas up too. Never turn down an advantage.”

Laughing, feeling lighter, Sam gets up and waves a hand to put everything in its place on the desk. “Sounds like a plan. Can I help?” If he gets this, gets what he wants, he and Dean won’t live together anymore, so he’d like to spend a little more time with Dean now if he can.

Dean eyes his brother, not sure. “I’m cooking by hand, not magic, so you have to keep up, without cheating.” Sam has lots of skills, but he’s not sure how good he’ll be in the kitchen.

“These burgers are because of me, for me,” Sam reminds his brother as they head for the kitchen, “so I’m going to help. With the number of times you’ve done this, you should be able to teach me anything I don’t already know how to do.”

“Touché.” Dean nods his agreement, and the cooking begins.

Sam can handle knives well enough which is probably why Dean tells him to prepare the tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles to start. He’d rather work on the patties because those are the actual burgers, but Dean probably doesn’t trust him. It can’t be that hard, but when he’s used to only doing it with magic, doing it by hand can be challenging. 

But with the cheese… “Come on, Dean. I’m not a baby anymore. I can shred some cheese.” Sam holds the cheese and the grater behind his back, moving around and around so that Dean can’t get behind him. “Come on.”

Dean narrows his eyes at his brother, not sure how much he trusts him. Then again… “Fine. You can shred the cheese. But if you shred your finger, don’t come crying to me.”

Sure enough, Dean only has time to form one more patty, adding a few extra ingredients to make them a little less bland, before Sam’s cussing. When he turns around, Sam is sucking on one of his fingers, not looking up at Dean. He doesn’t judge Sam, just shakes his head. “Alright, you can use magic for the rest of the cheese, okay?”

Sam nods and goes back to the cheese, waving his hand to manipulate the block until he has enough cheese. He’d rather just slice the cheese to lay it flat on the patty, but Dean insists that shredded melts better, so he shreds. His finger will be fine in a moment, so he doesn’t complain too much. 

Once the patties are cooked, the veggies ready, and the buns toasted, they weave the spells to keep everything ready for eating once Castiel gets home. The goal is to have dinner ready by six, which they managed, but Castiel doesn’t always make it home on time, and today is one of those days. 

“Do you think Castiel will approve?” They’re sitting on the kitchen counter, legs swinging since their feet don’t touch the floor. If this was Dean’s plan, Sam knows that Castiel would approve it in a heartbeat, but Sam isn’t Dean. 

“Of course he will.” Dean sounds confident, but that doesn’t make Sam feel that much better, so he gestures for his brother to keep going. “You’re smart, and he knows that. If you have a plan to follow and believe that it’ll work, I don’t see why Cas would say no.”

Sam takes a deep breath, trying to have as much faith in himself as Dean does. He wishes Gabe was here so that Gabe could give him a big hug and tell him that he’s being ridiculous. Taking a deep breath, Sam pretends like Gabe is in front of him, big smile on his face. With Sam on the counter, he’d be taller than Gabe, although as he grows with age, he’s the same height as Gabe now, and everyone thinks he’ll be taller. 

He isn’t so sure. With all the research he did into mates when looking to protect Dean, he noticed a lot of mentions of mates’ bodies being formed to suit each others’ tastes. Castiel’s wouldn’t change much if at all since he was fully grown before meeting his mate. Dean though, Dean probably won’t grow any taller than Castiel’s chin or ever grow the same muscle mass as his mate, even if he will be super strong. The shorter, slimmer build fits best into their dynamic, so nature and magic will keep them like that. Intent plays a role as well.

Without having a mate, Sam doesn't know if there will be any restrictions on his growth or if he'll grow as close to naturally as it gets. Castiel wont affect his growth with him having Dean, and the only other person he spends that much time with is Gabe. But he doesn't live with Gabe, so he doubts he'll have an impact on Sam's growth. He doubts anyone will affect his growth. 

If he has a mate, maybe things will change in the future, but for now, he's going to assume natural growth, as close to natural as a demon in Heaven can get. 

“Relax,” Dean tells him, the hand dropping down on his shoulder, startling Sam out of his thoughts. “Cas’ll go for it, I promise. The only reason you got turned down last time is because of security reasons, not because it’s a bad idea or because they don’t think you can do it. Cas’ll say yes, and Gabe’ll say yes, and they’ll be able to convince Michael to say yes.” 

Sam nods, tentatively agreeing to Dean’s points, not bringing up the fact that he’s not taking his proposal to Michael again. He knows that the reason he wasn’t allowed to set up his shelters four years ago was due to security issues, but he’s not going to risk it this time. He’s going to the Council, not Michael. They’re less warrior minded than Michael, so they should approve. 

He hopes. 

“Thanks, Dean.” Leaning over, he puts an arm around his brother’s shoulder for a slight hug before sitting upright at the sound of the door opening. “Is that Castiel?” Now that the moment’s here, he’s nervous all over again. If his proposal is rejected again, he has no idea what he’s going to do. This is too important to him.

“Yup!” Dean hops off the counter and runs for the front door, eager to see his mate. They see each other every day, have for ten years, but twenty year old Dean turns into a little kid all over again every time Castiel comes back home. 

Sam wonders what it's like, feeling for someone like that, then pushes it aside. He has more important things to worry about. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for starting this with me! I appreciate the comments and kudos you've already sent even with just one chapter. And I've got a couple of betas, NavajoLovesDestiel and Queen0fHearts, who have already jumped into working on my draft. The odds of typos and inconsistencies has dropped dramatically. Thanks you two!

Gabriel goes to throw his sword to the side, old irreverent habits dying hard, but he stops and places it on the table. Pressing a few runes carved into the table cleans and sharpens the blade, ready for next time. He’s not sure that he likes the fact that there’s a next time, but he’s been doing it for four years, and it’s worth it.

Leaving the front hallway, Gabriel stops when he sees Lucifer lounging on his sofa, arms and wings spread wide. All he wants right now is a shower, but apparently not. “What the Hell are you doing here? And how’d you get in?”

Lucifer chuckles and shifts around like he’s getting more comfortable. “Well, when I heard my little brother was going on raids, the little brother who refuses to be a warrior, I had to check it out. As for getting in, well, you’re good, but I’m better. Pretty sure the only people who could keep me out are Michael and Sammy.”

He drops down on the sofa across from Lucifer. It’s not worth arguing about his wards since Lucifer’s right, and he doesn’t really mind the break in. “I have my reasons.”

“Of course you do.” Determined to get an answer, Lucifer drops the relaxed pose and leans forward, elbows on knees. “And those reasons are?”

“My mate.” Gabriel gets up to pace, still wound up from the adrenaline of the raid. “When Sam went to Michael four years ago, he said that he wouldn’t let Sam work on his project because of safety concerns.” Bitter, Gabriel sneers at his brother. “Apparently an archangel isn’t protection enough, it has to be one that likes butchering demons.”

To be fair, Gabriel doesn’t have many issues with the work other angels do to try and keep Heaven and Earth safe. That doesn’t mean that he wants to be the one doing the work. He’ll support them, but that’s it. Until Sam.

Lucifer sighs. “It wasn’t a dig at you, Gabe, you know that. But we lost several angels trying to get Dean back, and Michael doesn’t want to lose you or Sam or anyone else, so he said no. To be fair, he probably didn’t go about it the best way, but he didn’t mean to make you hurt or force you to be a warrior.”

While he knows that Lucifer is most likely telling the truth, that doesn’t fully take away the sting of what he heard when Michael denied Sam. “I know, but even so, he had a point. I can’t rely on magic alone, especially when I haven’t used it in an offensive manner in centuries. Four years of practice isn’t enough to put me on your level, but it’ll be better than nothing.”

“Actually…” Lucifer trails off with a little smirk that makes Gabriel narrow his eyes at him. “You’d be surprised. Archangels were designed to be the strongest warriors Heaven has. Sure, you were rusty at the beginning, but I bet you’re the best in your unit now, right?”

Thinking about it, Gabriel has to nod. It actually took him a lot less time to get back into the swing of things than he thought it would. “So you’re telling me that archangels can’t get out of practice?” If so, he’s going to smack the shit out of Michael for his decision.

“Not exactly. More like no matter how long it’s been since you were last active, it’ll only take a few years before you’re back at peak abilities.” He shrugs, remembering how quick it was for him to adjust back to being in Heaven and using angelic magic again after his centuries in Hell. Definitely a lot less time than most people thought.

“So I could protect Sam with ease now, like I had been a warrior and going on raids for centuries?” Gabriel really hopes that he’s correct because he does  _ not  _ want to be a hurdle for Sam to overcome to make his plans work out.

Lucifer nods, stretching up from his leaning forward position to relax again. “He’ll be safe with you around, as safe as if Castiel or I were there at least. If it’s a threat that would require more than just one of us, well, there’s only so much that one of us can do on our own. Do you know what he’s planning for security?”

Gabriel shakes his head, standing up and gesturing for Lucifer to follow him. If they’re going to keep talking, fine, but he’s hungry. “Not exactly. He only had a rough security plan last time I spoke to him about it. We haven’t actually talked about it since Michael turned him down. Knowing him, he’s still planning, but he hasn’t been sharing.” He wishes Sam felt comfortable enough to share with him, but he also knows that it’s going to take time to build that level of closeness between them.

It’s an intimacy that can’t be rushed.

While Gabe isn’t the most touchy feely person in the family, Lucifer feels like this calls for a hug, so he wraps his arms around his brother from behind. Gabe stiffens up then relaxes into the hug. “It’ll all work out, Gabe, I promise. You found your mate, and that’s the biggest step. The rest of it is just time and learning how to be with each other.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Gabriel scoffs, patting his brother’s hand so that he’ll let go so Gabriel can focus on getting food. “Based on your life, I’d say that mates can survive anything as long as they’re willing to try, willing to work for it, but when I feel like I’ve let him down? That’s not easy.”

There were far more factors involved with Michael’s decision than just Gabriel’s lack of fighting experience, but it was something he could control, so it’s what sticks out in his mind. In some ways, it has probably been a bit of a blessing. Gabriel is definitely ready, Sam has had more time to plan, and they’ve had more time together before doing something that would take their focus away from each other.

That doesn’t mean he feels any better about delaying Sam’s plans.

“Of course it’s not easy.” Lucifer smacks Gabe upside the head for thinking that before grabbing the lettuce to rip it up and rinse it off. He’s cooked enough times with Dean to know that he likes doing things by hand. “It’s a relationship. But you’re back in fighting shape. A raid a month or so will keep you there. You can focus more on Sam now without feeling like you’d be holding him back.”

“Easier said than done.” Gabriel chops up the chicken and tomatoes, and they toss everything together with a dressing that Dean made him a while ago for when he wants to eat at home but doesn’t want to put in the effort to cook. “We’ll figure it out though. How’s Michael?”

A subtle topic change it’s not, but Lucifer lets it slide. “Not too bad. He’s been focused on monitoring the changes in Hell due to the new Wrath. Nothing seems to be going crazy or like it’s going to be a serious threat, but you never know.”

“Greed and Envy have him pretty locked down.” Both angels turn, knives at the ready to see Michael lounging in a door frame with a soft smile on his face. “The new Wrath isn’t going to be causing too much chaos on his own for a while if ever. The spell that the other Sins found is pretty solid.”

“So as Wrath’s powers grow, so does their control over him?” Gabriel grabs another plate so Michael can eat with them as Lucifer grabs the salad. As they set the table, Michael waves a hand to gather glasses and fill them with a nice white wine. Gabriel’s not sure what the wine is by scent, but Michael always has good taste.

“Exactly.” Michael sips the wine, happy with his choice. “There’s something else there, something in the magic that isn’t Greed and isn’t Envy, but I can’t quite figure out what it is. And until I or someone else figures out what it is, we can’t figure out the best way to defend against it, if necessary.” It’s his job to protect Heaven, to make sure that everyone inside knows what to do to keep it safe, and he can’t do that if he doesn’t know what he’s up against.

“Let me at it,” Lucifer says around of mouthful of chicken, ignoring his mate’s glare at his poor table manners. “I might be able to identify it.”

Michael hesitates, never too fond of Lucifer getting close to anything Hellish, but it’s been fine the last few times. “Next time I go on a raid, you can come with me, alright?”

“Alright.” Lucifer wants to sit in Michael’s lap because, hello, mates, but this is more about Gabriel than just normal family time, so Lucifer stays in his seat between his brothers. “Still settling in as head of the family?”

“It’s fine,” Michael says with a shrug. “The only people in our family that I am the head of are you two, Cas, Anna, and the two boys. Even with two demons and several archangels, it isn’t that hard to stay on top of things because there aren’t that many of us.”

“What does being a family head mean?” Gabriel has always wondered this since Naomi always made it seem like it meant she was in charge of everything that everyone did, as if the head of a family had unlimited power.

“During the day to day life, not very much,” Michael admits. “If someone in a family does something seriously wrong, if the member is young enough, the head may receive a punishment as well for not raising the family properly.”

“Like if Bartholomew had been only a few centuries old, Naomi could have been punished too?” Never before has Lucifer wished that someone was younger.

“Exactly. Or now, if Dean or Sam did something horrible, I would be punished along with them.” He doubts that either boy would do something that wrong, not after the threat against them from Greed was eliminated, but Michael can’t deny that it floats around in the back of his head. “Other things include knowing when members find mates for the first time, when mates claim each other, always being able to find you if I need. But there really isn’t that much of an impact on my daily life.”

“That’s good to hear.” Gabriel’s glad to be out from under the thumb of his mother, but he didn’t think about the fact that it could lead to being a burden on his brother. “So, you can tell that Cassie and Dean are mates?” He wants to ask about himself and Sam, but he doesn’t want to be that obvious.

Michael raises an eyebrow but doesn’t call out his brother. “No, I can’t. They met each other before I was head of the family, and they consummated it before too. But if Anna was to meet her mate, or if you were to consummate a bond with your mate, I’d know.” They all already know that Sam and Gabe are mates, but they all also know that no one is openly admitting it.

Although Dean might not really know it yet. As smart as Dean is, he can be a little oblivious sometimes about his brother.

After a long moment of silence, not quite awkward but almost there, Lucifer clears his throat to steal the floor. “Do you think Anna will find a mate? Given how many of us have already found ours, I bet she finds a mate.”

“Perhaps,” Gabriel says, “but Cassie’s with a demon,” he takes a deep breath, “I’m with a demon,” because he has to admit it eventually, “and you’re with your brother. It’s not like we have ‘normal’ mates, so where’s she going to find an odd mate like that?” Sure, Anna’s mate might be an angel, but if they’re talking about the odds…

“Maybe that’ll be her weird thing, having a normal mate rather than a weird one,” Lucifer counters with a smirk, getting a glare out of his younger brother in response. Before Gabriel can snap back, Michael defuses the situation and brings up work, keeping things civil through the rest of dinner.

After eating, as the mates are heading out, Lucifer holds back to grab Gabriel’s attention. “Don’t forget what I told you earlier. You’re ready.”

Confused for a moment, Gabriel nods when he remembers Lucifer’s comments about it not taking too long for him to get back into fighting shape. “Thanks.” With that in mind, he starts making plans in his head for when he can see Sam next. He wants to explain that he can support Sam even better than he could before, wants to see where Sam is with his plans. He ushers his brothers out and heads back for his long overdue shower. Time to wash off Hell and to focus on his mate again.

He has a mate to support and woo.


	3. Chapter 3

“Hello, Dean.” Castiel bends down to hug his mate, breathing in his scent. He smells too much like Dean and not enough like Castiel, but it won’t take long to change that now that he’s home. There’s also the lingering scent of hamburgers, so he knows that somebody wants something. “How was your day?”

“It was good.” Dean wraps his hands around Cas’ arm while leading him back to the kitchen. He doesn’t smell too much like Hell, and there’s no blood lingering, so there’s no need for a shower before dinner. “I’m learning things, maybe not as much as I could with you, but…” Dean trails off with a little shrug remembering what happened the last time he tried to do things his way. “But it’s better for me to learn then do instead of rushing into doing.”

Castiel pauses for a moment, pressing a kiss to the top of his mate’s head. If he ever lost his mate to his need to do more, to prove himself, Castiel could never forgive himself. “Yes, it’s better for you to learn before rushing into things. You don’t need to prove yourself. With what you did four years ago, you already have.”

Nodding, Dean agrees, but he has issues accepting it. He knows he did a lot for the angels, forcing a Sin to comply with his wishes, but moving past the fact that he’s a demon’s child, a Sin’s child, is hard. “I’ll try to remember.”

“Remember what?” Sam could have been listening in, but house rules say that hearing should be limited to the capabilities of a human to respect people’s privacy.

“That I don’t have anything to prove,” Dean explains, sliding into his seat as agreed. This is Sam’s dinner, Sam’s request so he’s in charge. “I’ve already proved myself.”

“You have,” Sam agrees while heading into the kitchen to grab the food, the table already set. “And once you have all the training to make sure you don’t die an early, stupid death, you’ll prove yourself again and again.”

Castiel eyes the hamburgers on the trays Sam levitates out of the kitchen and wonders just what he’s going to ask for. “As have you, Sam. It may not have been in a physical manner, but your research skills and intelligence have been proven again and again.” Which is why Castiel is sure that Sam knows that he knows that Sam wants something.

“Perhaps.” Sam doesn’t argue, but he also doesn’t add that that isn’t how he wants to prove himself. The shelters, his pet project, his big goal, that’s how he wants to prove himself. “Here.” A wave of his hand serves everyone a hamburger, bun, and their preferred toppings. When Castiel raises an eyebrow at him, Sam just shrugs. Is there an issue with paying attention?

They eat in silence, Sam too nervous to blurt out his request, Dean leaving it for Sam, and Castiel probably just waiting. Once they’re done with the burgers, Sam knows he can’t delay any longer, so he takes a deep breath. “Castiel, I was wondering if you had a moment to discuss something.”

The formality surprises Castiel, but if that’s how Sam want to do it, he can be formal. “Of course. What would you like to discuss?”

Another deep breath. “Four years ago, I presented Michael with a proposal for shelters to help those you rescue during raids.” He pauses, and Castiel nods to show he remembers. “Michael decided that it wasn’t the best time for such a project. Since then, I’ve gone over my project, refined security details, addressed new issues that I thought of, and I would like to present the proposal to the Council for funding.” And he needs Castiel on board first or it’s not going anywhere.

Frowning, Castiel leans back in his seat to get more comfortable, stroking Dean’s tail where it has crept up into his lap. “I have no issues with your proposal. It seemed rather complete to me when I heard you explaining it to Dean and Gabriel. Why are you asking me this time instead of Michael? He has access to the funds you need, not me.” If he could, he’d give Sam all the money and support he wants, but Castiel doesn’t have access to Heaven’s coffers.

Sam grimaces, hoping he could have avoided going over this part. “Michael said due to the chaos in Hell from Abaddon losing her status as Wrath, he didn’t think it was safe for me to be on Earth. He said I have to wait at least a decade before he’ll consider it again.”

As much as Sam might not like the ruling, Castiel can understand his brother’s concerns. “Well, it’s only been four years, so-”

“So what?!” Sam blushes at his outburst and the shocked looks on his family’s faces, but this is important to him. “If there’s extra upheaval in Hell, then there’s an even greater chance of large numbers of people needing help. There’s never been a better time to try. And Gabe’s been working to improve his fighting skills, so I’ll have plenty of security when he’s added to the amulets, charms, and spells I’ll have around the shelter. There’s no need to wait any longer.”

Well that explains the rumors about Gabriel going on raids and working with Gilon for the first time in centuries. Castiel wants to say yes, wants to support Sam, but he can’t oppose Michael, especially not now that he’s head of the family. “I see your point, but I am not sure how much I can do. Why don’t we start with you showing me your new proposal, and I’ll give you my opinion on the odds of success with the Council.” It may not be polite to go over Michael’s head, but it will give Sam greater odds than going back to Michael.

“Thank you.” Sam gets up to start working on clearing the table. “I’ll meet you in the library once the dishes are done.”

Dean and Cas nod, and Dean takes his mate’s hand as they start walking through the hallways. “Thank you.”

Castiel looks down at his mate, confused. “Thank you for what?”

“For working with Sam. You could have said no, that he has to wait until the years Michael gave him are up, but you didn’t.” Dean hops up so that Cas has to catch him, holding him close in the tightest hug possible. Damn, he has the best mate.

“Of course I’ll work with Sam. I don’t know that he has a good chance of making his case, I can’t guarantee that Michael won’t get mad, but I understand.” Castiel understands having dreams, wanting them to come true and being willing to push for them. Even if he didn’t expect to find a mate, he still wanted a safe Heaven if he did find one, so he worked to be the best he could, surpassing many expectations of what a seraph could do.

“Still, thank you.” Dean sniffs to make sure Sam is still in the kitchen before whispering, “You are  _ so _ getting lucky tonight.”

Castiel blinks down at his mate in his arms before laughing. He always ‘gets lucky’ if he’s home at night, but he can humor his mate. “Really? Lucky enough to get a blow job?” He doesn’t understand the human dislike of oral sex, the way it’s often used as a reward rather than a normal part of life, but if that’s what they prefer. He gives a mental shrug, admitting that he’ll never fully understand humans and their hangups. 

“Definitely a blow job.” Dean loves having Cas’ heavy cock in his mouth, filling it up, stretching his jaw, and the thrill of role playing makes it even better. “I’ll lick you all over, then I’ll suck you down, and I’ll-”

“Enough!” Sam shakes his head at the not at all apologetic look on his brother’s face, although Castiel has at least enough sense to look slightly ashamed. “I don’t want to know what led to promising sex, but keep it to yourself, alright? We have rules for a reason.” Like no dirty talk within hearing range of others.

“Sorry.” Dean says the word, but Sam knows he really isn’t. Oh well, he’ll take what he can get.

“So.” Sam pulls out both the short document that he had Dean read earlier in the day as well as a slightly more in depth proposal that he’s been working on for the Council. “This is what I have so far.”

Cas takes the papers and sits in an armchair. Dean moves to sit with him, but when he sees the nerves on Sam’s face, he sits with his brother instead. He even takes his hand and squeezes it. He’d hug, but Sam looks too tense for that. Dean jumps a little when Sam’s tail twines with his but stays quiet. This is Sam’s moment, not his.

Sam watches Castiel as he reads, but there are no emotions on his face. He can’t scent anything too obvious in the air either. Damn. He just has to wait which really isn’t what he wants to do right now. At least having Dean nearby is making it a little easier, especially the contact.

Eventually Castiel stops reading, and Sam looks at him, waiting. “It’s good,” he says, putting the papers back on the table, “and I’m willing to bet that any issues they have will be unrelated to your plan.”

“You think they’ll think it’s still not safe?” Sam asks, hand tightening on Dean’s to the point of Dean hissing at him. Oops. “You think they’ll say no?”

“There’s always that chance,” Castiel reminds the boy, “but you have a few things in your favor. One, an archangel will support you. Gabriel will be more than willing to work with this plan. Two, you’re a novelty. You’re one of the first demons in Heaven, you want to help humans which is more angelic than demonic, you’re trying something that hasn’t been done in millennia, and more. That is all in your favor.”

“Basically, they’ll let me go for the entertainment factor more than anything else?” Castiel grimaces at how it sounds when he puts it that way.

“Possibly. The Council is rather removed from day to day life, the fight in Hell. They receive reports, and I’m sure they read them, but there’s a difference between knowing and doing.” Personally, Castiel thinks the Council should leave Heaven a little more often, but he generally stays quiet, not wanting to anger anyone. “Even if they do it for the wrong reason, you’ll be doing it for the right reason, and I think that’s the more important factor.”

Sam’s not entirely sure about that, but he’ll take what he can get, especially with Michael not one hundred percent behind his plan. Beggars can’t be choosers. “I need to talk to Gabriel before going to the Council, but I will work with him soon to present this to them.” He is going to move forward with this no matter what.

“Very well.” Castiel stands up and stretches, noticing the way the brothers are twined together. “I’ll stay quiet around Michael, but if he hears something and asks me something directly, I will not lie to him.”

“That’s fine.” Sam appreciates the help but knows that none of them can directly defy Michael to his face. Behind his back, sure, but not to his face. It’s a head of the family thing. “Thank you for everything you do.” He feels a little better about going to Gabriel now because he’s pretty sure that if Castiel approves, Gabriel will too.

Castiel nods and raises an eyebrow when Dean ushers him out. He doesn’t argue though, heading for their room. He has a role play scene to stage.

“Told you.” Dean knocks his shoulder into Sam’s. “Told you he’d approve.”

“Yeah, but it’s nice to hear.” Sam releases Dean’s hand flexing his own from the pain of squeezing so hard. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Dean stays sitting on the table and twitches his tail. “But what’s with the tail thing?”

“Oh, right.” Sam hops off the table and pulls a book off the bookshelf to show Dean. It’s thin and a little beat up but completely legible. “A bit ago, I asked Gabe to tell me something I didn’t know about angels, and he showed me that angels used to hug with just their wings. So I looked into demon rituals because I got curious, and demons twining their tails is an old fashioned hug between people who are close together.”

“Oh.” Dean breaks out into a big smile and wraps his tail around Sam’s again. “We should start doing this more often.”

“Agreed.” Sam smiles back at his brother, happy to have a little thing for just him and his brother. “Now, go have fun with Castiel. I heard you earlier, and I want that out of your systems.”

Dean giggles and doesn’t argue. “You sleeping here or going to Gabe’s?”

Sam hesitates, not quite sure what to say. He wants to go see Gabe, wants to share with him immediately, but he’s been a little weird the last few years, not as likely to be immediately happy when Sam shows up unannounced. “Gabe’s. Even if he’s too tired to talk tonight, we can talk in the morning.”

“Great.” Dean twists their tails extra tight then bounces out of the library with a cheery little wave. Even as a demon, Sam can admit that no demon has any right being that cute. Castiel is so lucky he has Dean.

Grabbing the papers he needs and putting them in his knapsack, Sam leaves the library for the front door. When he hears Dean giggle again and Castiel’s voice rumble something shortly after that, he speeds up. As much as he loves his brother, he doesn’t need to hear that. Besides, he has his own angel to talk to.


	4. Chapter 4

Gabriel steps out of the shower feeling cleaner but not quite clean. While he understands why angels go to Hell rather than waiting for the demons to come to them, he’ll never like it. He’s more of a defender than an attacker. Hopefully working with Sam will help him feel clean again.

Speaking of Sam, the boy is sitting in the middle of his bed, playing with a deck of cards. Gabriel waves a towel around his hips before the boy looks up, not wanting to startle him too much. Apparently he’s sleeping with clothing tonight. Whatever game he’s playing is calm and relaxed, so Gabriel waits in the doorway and watches Sam, calming down even further with the repetitive actions.

“I can feel you watching me, you know.” Sam doesn’t bother looking up from his cards because he’s so close to the end. Either he’ll get the card he needs to start putting everything up to the foundation, or it’s under the card he doesn’t need, and he loses. He flips a few more cards and frowns. He’s going to lose, but he keeps flipping cards, just in case he missed something.

“It’s calming, watching you.” Gabriel shrugs away from the wall and walks over to join Sam on the bed, making sure his towel keeps him modest. “What are you playing?”

Sam shifts so that Gabe can sit next to him, can see the cards. “It’s called Klondike, and it’s pretty easy, but you’re right, it’s soothing. I like the repetition sometimes, when I’m worried, mostly.” He pauses for a moment before continuing with the cards, he didn’t mean to say that much because now Gabe’s going to ask-

“What has you worried tonight?” Gabriel watches the moves Sam makes and starts to pick up on the rules of the game. It’s rather simple, something he’s sure helps with the relaxing aspect. “Cassie and Dean doing alright?”

“Yeah, they’re doing fine.” Sam starts cleaning up the cards since he’s verified that he’s going to lose. “It’s something else, something I wanted to talk to you about.” He turns to Gabe to face him when talking. “Do you remember the project I talked to you about? The shelters that I want to set up for people the angels rescue from Hell?”

How could he forget? The rejection from Michael has driven his actions for the past four years. “Of course. Have you been working on it further?” He thought the original proposal was pretty good, that Michael just had a stick up his ass.

“Well, I went over it again, and I reviewed the safety features, and I showed it to Castiel, and I’m ready to try again.” He smiles at the soft surprise on Gabe’s face. “This time though, I’m going to the Council because I’m not waiting another six years.”

“Good for you.” He’s not quite sure why this is so important to Sam, but Gabriel’s glad that he’s going for it again and that he gets to be a part of it. “And what do you think about your odds with the Council?”

“Castiel thinks I have a good chance because it’s so well thought out and it’s a novelty,” Sam reports with a little grimace. He still doesn’t like the idea of that being the reason he gets the go ahead, but he’ll take what he can get. “So I feel okay about it, but I’d feel better if you were there.”

“Why wouldn’t I be there?” Gabriel is totally confused about what made Sam think he wouldn’t support him. “What you want to do is amazing, and I would love to support your success. I’ll be there every step of the way for you, Sam.”

Overwhelmed, Sam throws himself at Gabe, hugging him as hard as he can, even putting his tail and wings around him. “Thank you.” Castiel will always support him when it makes sense to or if it’ll make Dean happy, but Gabe’ll support him no matter what just because it’s him. That’s a level of devotion that he doesn’t quite understand, but he can appreciate it a lot.

“Of course.” Gabriel smiles and hugs the boy back, arranging him in a more comfortable position on his lap. “Now, if you were being an idiot, I’d try to talk you out of it, but even if I couldn’t, I’d still go along with you. That’s what you do for people you care about.” He almost says love since he’s pretty sure he loves Sam, but neither one of them is ready for that. “So, what’s the plan?”

Sam fills him on what he’s done to update the original plan then what Castiel said about the Council. “So we’re going to go to Council and be as sincere and professional as possible, and then I’m going to smile and look like a cute little scamp so they won’t be able to say no.” He looks up at Gabe with big, big eyes and the most innocent expression he can manage.

Gabriel lasts about three seconds before smiling like a loon and pulling Sam closer. “I’d totally give in to that face. Between your plan and that face, you should have this, no problem.” And if he doesn’t, Gabriel will find something to help persuade the Council that they made the wrong decision and need to reconsider.

“Thanks.” Sam shifts again so that he’s not sitting on his tail, then looks down at his lap, not sure what to say. He hasn’t spent as much time with Gabe the last few years as he had hoped, and he knows the scent of Hell even after a shower and a magical wash. “Now you know what I’ve been doing when you were gone. What have you been doing when I’m not around?”

Damn, he should have seen that question coming. He doesn’t want to answer it though, so maybe that’s why he pretended like it wouldn’t come. “I’ve been working on my fighting skills. Michael wasn’t entirely wrong when he said that I wouldn’t be much of a protector.” He tries not to feel too bitter about that, but it’s hard.

“And you thought that going to Hell and fighting demons was the answer?” Totally confused, Sam looks up to Gabe for an answer. “You don’t like killing, and you could have improved your skills with training alone. As an archangel, you don’t need the practical experience to improve, not to get back to where you were before.”

That sounds rather similar to what Lucifer was telling him, and Sam doesn’t generally say things without knowing that they’re true. “How is it that everyone seems to know more about me and what I’m capable of than I do?”

“Because that’s not you.” Sam gives a little shrug before leaning into Gabriel’s shoulder. It’s nice. “You’re more relaxed than that, and it wasn’t something you needed to know. Why would you have a lot of mostly forgotten info on archangels and their warrior prowess and potential if you weren’t interested in being a warrior?”

“Because I’m an archangel?” That seems pretty obvious to him, but Gabriel isn’t the researcher. “I should know more about myself than this. You do, Lucifer does, so why not me?” He hates feeling like he doesn’t know enough, like he’s insufficient for the role he’s going to play, going to fill.

“Lucifer was forced to learn about archangels when he left Heaven, created Hell, and came back to Heaven.” Well, that makes sense. “He even wrote several of the books I read. And I know a lot because I wanted to know what you were capable of. I trust you to protect the shelters, to work with me, but I wanted to know more.”

And now he feels like an ass for snapping at the kid and for making him out to be a bit of a villain in his head. “Thank you for the explanation. And I’m sorry for snapping at you. After Michael telling me that I wasn’t enough to keep you safe on Earth, I guess I’m still a little sensitive.”

“I don’t think that’s what he was trying to say,” Sam says, feeling bad that Gabe’s had that feeling hanging over him for four years. “I think he was worried for both of us, worried about our safety, and just wanted you to be a little more prepared if something were to happen. He might not understand your really strong desire to avoid being a warrior, but that doesn’t mean he thinks any less of you.”

Gabriel listens to the boy and really thinks about it. Even with his lack of practical experience, Michael would still come to him with questions about occasional raids. When he had a particularly confusing magic question, he often came to Gabriel too, even now after they have Sam doing a lot of that research for them. Maybe Michael thinks a little more of him than he realized.

“See?” Sam can see the thoughts as they cross Gabe’s face as he thinks it through. “You might not be a warrior, but that doesn’t make you worthless. Personally, I think he’s impressed by your commitment to not fighting even with all of the pressure you’re been under.”

Michael has always been a fan of loyalty, and Gabriel has been nothing but loyal to his statement, at least until Sammy came along. But somethings are more important than old goals and declarations. “Maybe he is. Apparently centuries of things always being the same can make changing things kinda hard.”

“Makes sense.” Sam only has sixteen years, but even he can see that. It’s what leads to people like Bartholomew being unable to embrace change, and makes others willing to support anything for a chance to break the tedium of the same thing over and over. “So, now what?” He hops up and stretches a little. “Can I spend the night?”

“Of course.” It’s been far too long since Sam’s slept over, but with Gabriel unsure when calls for raids would come and unwilling to let Sam know about the raids, it was hard to let him stay the night. “I’ve eaten and showered and was planning on sleeping soon. Do you need something or are you ready for sleep too?”

“I’m ready for sleep.” Sam smiles a little while putting the cards on the nightstand. “We made burgers for dinner since I wanted to talk to Castiel, so I’ve already had dinner.”

“Then I’ll have to make breakfast for you.” He isn’t a big cook, but Gabriel likes providing for the boy even if it’s in such a small way. “You want pancakes again?”

“Actually…” Sam pulls up the sheets and slides into the bed, propping himself up on his side to watch Gabriel do the same from the other side. “Castiel brought French food home the other day, and we had something called crepes for dessert. They were good enough I looked them up, and there’s a more savory version that can be filled with different jellies that would be great for breakfast.”

True statement, crepes are very good, especially for breakfast, and when paired with such a cute look, he’s hopeless to say no. “Only if you agree to cook with me. Breakfast in bed can be fun, but not with something that can get so messy.”

“I can cook with you.” Sam nods, eager to spend time with Gabe again since they really haven’t in a while, but then he remembers grating his finger earlier. “I can use magic while cooking, right?”

Gabriel feels like there’s a story behind that, but he doesn’t push for it. “Definitely. Cooking should be fun, so if you need to use magic, use magic.” Although he’s going to ask for that story tomorrow while they’re cooking. Whatever happened, he couldn’t be too hurt.

“Perfect.” Sam smiles and waves a hand to turn off the lights on the nightstands. Gabe doesn’t protest, so he assumes he didn’t overstep a line. The line he isn’t sure that he can cross is holding onto Gabe overnight. They’ve slept wrapped around each other before, but it’s been so long. And he doubts it, but spending time in Hell might make Gabriel a little less willing to get so close to a demon while vulnerable.

“I can hear you thinking, you know.” Gabriel rolls over to his side, watching Sam’s hands fidget on top of the duvet. He doesn’t need light to see, especially not after spending so much time working to improve his physical skills. “Come here.”

Sam doesn’t argue, glad that the choice is being taken away from him. A couple wiggles later and Gabe is wrapping him up in his arms and holding him close. Not wanting to make Gabe second guess his decision or change his mind, Sam doesn’t question it. “Night, Gabe.”

“Night, Sam.” Warm, quiet, and comfortable, it doesn’t take long for Sam to fall asleep. Gabriel needs a little more time though. He needs to watch Sam sleep, looking even younger than he already is, needs to remind himself that he hasn’t lost the little demon and never will. His mate is safe and sound, and Gabriel can now fully protect him no matter what.

He can relax, and he does, sleep claiming him moments later.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're so cute together!! I'm not as into Sabriel as Destiel, but they can still be super duper cute.

When Gabriel wakes up, it takes a moment to remember why he feels so settled, so calm for the first time in a long while. He looks at the small bundle in his arms and smiles, especially when he realizes that Sam isn’t such a small bundle anymore. Based on how they lie together, Gabriel wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Sam is taller than his brother.

He looks so peaceful like this too, eyes closed and hiding the wisdom far beyond his years from all of his reading and research. Gabriel runs a finger down his cheek, marveling at the softness of the skin. He wonders if Sam’s skin is that soft all over, but he forces that thought out of his head, not needing to add to his morning wood.

On that note, Gabriel opens his arms and starts working his way out of bed. He can take care of this in the shower the way humans talk about even if he doesn’t need another shower yet. He doesn't get far though, Sam’s tail wrapping tight around his waist, keeping him in place. Apparently he’s going to have to find a different way to deal with his erection.

“Where ya going?” Sam slurs out, sounding still half asleep, hand grabbing Gabriel’s wrist as tight as his tail around his waist.

“I was going to get up.” Gabriel leans in to press a kiss to the boy’s forehead. “Go back to sleep, and I’ll get you once breakfast is ready.”

“But…” Sam rolls over a little, looking up at the angel, “I was supposed to help you.” He’s already sounding more awake, so it’s probably too late for him to fall back asleep.

“You can help with lunch.” Gabriel gets a little frown, so apparently that’s out. “Alright. Up and at ‘em.” Tossing the sheet back, Gabriel thanks his Father that he wore a tunic to bed while cursing the fact that Sam did not. He did  _ not  _ need to know what Sam looked like under his clothing.

So much for easily getting rid of his erection.

As uncomfortable as it may be, Gabriel mutters a small spell to remove the blood from his erection. It’s simple but not pleasant yet still better than a bag of ice. Then Sam’s hips rut down into the bed a few times, a small moan falling from his lips, clearly having his own morning problems.

He can’t stick around for this. “I’ll see you in the kitchen once you’re awake,” Gabriel chokes out before fleeing to the kitchen. That spell damn well better last the several hours it’s supposed to last.

Sam looks up from the pillow to see Gabe leaving at lot faster than normal. He wonders just what it takes to make Gabe run away like that. When his hips hump the bed again, a mind of their own, Sam blushes and drops his head back down into the pillow. Oh. It was probably that. Embarrassed, Sam reaches down to cup himself, hissing at the touch on such sensitive skin.

What’s he supposed to do? If he was at home, he would take care of it, moving his hand up and down to thoughts of sexy male bodies (that only kind of look like Gabe, honestly), until he cums. But here, in Gabe’s house, Gabe’s  _ bed _ ? He can’t do that here, but he can’t walk out in front of Gabe like this either.

“Shit.” Jumping out of the bed, Sam runs for the shower because it’ll be easier to clean up there and seems less personal than his bed. Planting his feet to stay steady, Sam starts jerking his dick, breathing picking up at the intense sensations. The breathing makes him smell Gabe with every breath, and the idea that Gabe could be there, could walk in and see him, could smell this later on, pushes him over the edge.

He bites down on his lip to keep his cries and shouts quiet, cum shooting out of his dick to cover the tiles in the shower. When his orgasm ends, Sam lets go of his body, too sensitive to touch now, and focuses on calming his breathing. It felt so good even if acknowledging that thoughts of Gabe pushed him over the edge.

Then again, they’re likely mates, so there’s no real need for embarrassment, right?

Putting that thought away for later, Sam waves a hand to clean up his mess then walks out of the shower. He can still smell sex on himself, so he uses another spell to dim the effect. Sam hesitates for a moment then decides to leave the shower smelling the way it does. He has no idea how to start talking about any of this stuff, sex, mates, relationships, with Gabe, so maybe leaving that behind will help spark a conversation.

When Sam comes into the kitchen, Gabriel looks at him, trying to figure out what’s different. He looks both more relaxed and super tense like he doesn’t know how he feels. Not wanting to press, Gabriel decides to ignore it unless Sam brings it up himself. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah, really well.” Sam walks around the counter to see what Gabe’s doing to make the crepes, to see what he might be able to do to help. “It’s always easier to sleep here because I can’t hear Castiel and Dean going at it. Soundproofing spells are only so good against the two, and even if I can’t hear it, I  _ know  _ they’re doing it.” And Gabe’s here too, which helps the most.

“You get used to it. Even if they took centuries to realize their relationship,” Gabriel announces while gathering the last of the ingredients, “Michael and Lucifer weren’t exactly subtle about being a couple. After awhile, you just get used to it.”

“Really?” He knows he doesn’t have to live with them forever, but Sam would still appreciate the reassurance. He’ll be around them for the rest of their lives.

“Really. Now, let’s stop talking about them and start working on breakfast.” Gabriel wants a morning to focus on time with his mate, even if they’re just doing it as friends. It’s better than nothing.

“What can I do?” Sam asks, scooting around to stand next to Gabe, looking for a recipe to work off of. “How do you know what to do?”

“I’ve made crepes before,” Gabriel informs Sam while getting out the supplies to cook, “so I don’t need a recipe. I’ll tell you what to do, and we can work together just fine.”

Sam doesn’t like the idea of not knowing what he’s doing, but he trusts Gabe, so he doesn’t argue. “Alright, what do we do?”

“It’s easy enough. Help me measure out the ingredients.” Gabriel holds out the bag of flour while Sam fills up the proper measuring cup, and they dump it into blender followed by sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter.

“And now we blend it all together?” Sam checks with Gabe, and when he gets a nod, he turns on the blender.

“Wait!” Gabriel shouts when he realizes that lid isn’t on the blender, but it’s too late. Ingredients fly everywhere, covering Gabriel, Sam, and the kitchen in a matter of seconds. When Sam manages to turn off the blender, silence falls between the two.

“Oops?” Sam shrugs a little and gives a little grin that has Gabe laughing in moments. “I’m so sorry, Gabe! I didn’t mean to do that!”

When he was able to breathe again, Gabriel stands up and remembers a comment from the night before. “What happened last night when you were cooking with Dean?”

“It wasn’t as bad as this,” Sam admits, shrinking in on himself, “but I cut my finger on the cheese grater.”

That sets Gabriel off laughing again, bent over because his stomach hurts from all the laughing. It’s been a long time since he felt like this, free and happy, and he owes it all to Sam. His Father, the Fates, whoever decides mates did a very good job with his. “So no manual labor in the kitchen then, just magic.”

“I can do that,” Sam agrees, happy to see Gabe so happy. He didn’t smell quite settled or happy last night, and this is much better. “First step, cleaning up my mess.” A wave of his hand takes care of everything, and then he hoists himself up to sit on the counter. “You can do the rest, right?”

“Right.” Humming, Gabriel blends the mixture until it’s ready for cooking. “How about you get the jams and jellies out of the fridge and pick the ones that you want to use. You should be able to handle that.” He smirks when Sam sticks his tongue out at him but doesn’t argue. “Which ones are your favorite?”

“I like apricot and and peach.” Sam opens the fridge to see what the options are and is quite pleased by the variety on the door’s shelves. “What are your favorites?” He grabs the two he wants and reaches for the strawberry and raspberry, having a feeling.

“Um.” Gabriel thinks about it for a moment, flipping the crepe and then starting another one. “Definitely strawberry,” he decides, “and the raspberry too, please.”

“Got it.” Sam places the four jars on the counter seconds later which seems too fast for Gabriel. “What?” Sam asks at the raised eyebrow. “They were the emptiest jars and the newest ones, so I figures you used them the most.”

Such a smart boy. Gabriel leans over to press a kiss to the side of Sam’s head, proud of his abilities. “Nice job. I’ve got enough batter for about two more, but you can start eating now.” He gestures to the stack of cooked crepes on his right, but Sam shakes his head.

“I’ll wait. Two more crepes isn’t that long,” Sam says, leaning into Gabriel’s free side, “and there’s no point in eating breakfast together if I’m going to eat without you.”

“Alright.” Gabriel finishes cooking in a few moments and takes the crepes and two table settings to the counter leaving the jelly jars to Sam. A little tug of magic tells him that Sam isn’t going to risk dropping them by carrying them, and he smiles. So damn cute. “Thanks, Sam.”

“No problem.” He puts the jars down with little clinks against the stone counter top. “This time, at least.”

They settle in side by side, filling crepes with jellies and eating without talking. After a few crepes, Sam leans over and nabs some of the strawberry jelly to mix with his peach jelly. He’s not the biggest fan of berries, but mixed with the peach, it’s awesome. He lets out a little moan at the taste, blushing when Gabe looks over at him, eyebrows raised. “What? It’s good.”

“Really?” Strawberry and peach doesn’t seem like a combination that he’d like. Gabriel likes his berries mixed with berries and other fruits with other fruits. “Prove it.”

Without hesitation, Sam leans over to offer the crepe to Gabriel, letting the angel take a bite out of the food he still held. He does, meeting Sam’s eyes while licking extra jelly off his lower lip. When Sam’s pupils expand, Gabriel then realizes just how sexual the action was, something he hadn’t intended to show the boy.

They freeze for a moment, eyes meeting and holding as if they don’t know what to do next. Sam breaks the silence first and asks, “Good, isn’t it?”

“Very good.” Gabe nods and goes back to his own crepes, eating a little faster than before, like he wants to leave as soon as possible. Sam eats faster too, sure, but he isn’t too uncomfortable with what happened. He’s actually curious, wondering what might have happened if he was older, was more experienced, if they were doing something.

Apparently that orgasm in the shower is messing with his brain.

They finish eating without talking and clean up without talking. The silence isn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it isn’t the most comfortable either. Eventually Sam can’t take it any longer. “So, can we see the Council today, or do we need to wait?”

Thank Father he didn’t have to speak first. “Are you ready to talk to them?” When Sam nods, Gabriel smiles, pulling the boy into his side. “Then we go today.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is later than expected. I've got family coming this weekend for a week, and I'm pre-stressing it, and it's getting me down. I'll still post next week, don't worry, and I'll try to keep with a chapter every three days. Once New Year's rolls around, I'll definitely be back to every three days. Happy Holidays in advance!

Sam stands outside the doors of the Council’s chambers, waiting for them to open so that he can enter. Assuming that they let him in, of course. They have room on their schedule, that was pretty clear, but that doesn’t mean they have to let him in, have to listen to him.

“Relax,” Gabe tells him, hand rubbing up and down his arm in an effort to calm him down. “Everything will be fine. They just don’t get too many surprise meetings, so they’re probably getting ready to hear you.”

Avital smiles while listening to the nervous conversation on the other side of the doors. They’re ready for the boy and whatever he has to say, but making him wait gives them an indication of just how serious this is to Samuel. She likes him and hopes that he has the dedication to keep waiting.

“I think that an hour is long enough,” Simcha announces, settling down in her seat at the center of the Council’s chairs. “Take your seats so that we can permit them entrance.” Once the others have complied, she waves her hands to open the doors. Samuel and the archangel Gabriel enter their chambers, eyes lowered in respect.

Inside, Sam stops at the line that indicates just how far forward visitors are allowed to come. He keeps his eyes down, not looking up until he receives a mental prod that gives him permission to do so. “Council members.” He bows deep while greeting them, catching Gabe doing the same out of the corner of his eye.

“And what are you here to request from the Council of Seraphim, Samuel, son of Castiel?” Simcha considers naming him as the son of his biological father, but the agreement between Castiel and Mammon revokes paternal rights, so she names his chosen father instead.

“I am here to request your support in a new endeavor in the fight against the demons of Hell,” Sam announces, standing strong while still keeping his eyes low enough to be polite. “This support would constitute not only permission but funds for the endeavor as well.”

Gabor studies the boy, wondering what he could want. His father does plenty in the fight against Hell, and his brother will soon join him. Is this an effort to show that he is equally important, to try and outshine his brother perhaps? He may be raised by angels, but he’s still a demon. “And what figures are we talking in terms of funds?” Greedy or not?

“I am not sure,” Sam admits with a small blush. No matter how much research he can do, he can’t get those numbers without going to Earth, and Castiel won’t let him. “As my work would occur on Earth, I would need human currency, and I need access to Earth and your permission before I can give you actual numbers.”

Smart boy, not denying that he can’t know everything. Taaveti nods to himself, a little more interested now. “And what exactly are you planning on doing on Earth with these funds?”

Sam takes a deep breath. This is it. “I would like to build shelters for those who are rescued during raids. We could help them come to terms with what happened to them, to live with it so that they can go back to their old life or start a new one. This should help them be stronger, make them survivors, not victims, and make them far less likely to fall victim to the demons again. With fewer victims, the demons will slowly lose power making it easier on the angels fighting them to stay safe and keep the demons down.”

He goes on to explain the training and classes he wants to offer as well as making sure that it’s well rounded help, not just an empty gesture. If they’re going to help, it has to make a difference, not just be some time before the humans are cut lose to figure things out on their own again. 

Gabriel does his best to keep his surprise under control. Sam might as well be an angel in so many ways with Castiel raising him, but that still doesn’t make him an angel. Hearing him speak so easily of keeping demons down is startling. Gabriel agrees that it’d be nice to keep angels safer while in Hell. They’ll never be truly safe there, but the more they can do, the better.

“What makes you believe that you can do this?” Shoshi has no doubts that he has planned this out thoroughly given his work into discovering punishments for Bartholomew. But research does not guarantee success, so what makes him so confident?

“Because it won’t be just me.” Sam gestures to Gabe at his side. “Others will work with me for security purposes, as doctors, as chefs, and more. My position will be to keep everything running, something I can do with planning and experience, but I know when to ask for the support of others for tasks that I cannot do.” For a moment, Sam’s glad his Sin is Greed, not Pride. 

Well, hiring others, especially any who aren’t angels won’t be cheap, but at least the boy is smart enough to recognize his shortcomings. Simcha sees no issues with approving his request, and a quick mental conversation with the other Council members proves they are in agreement with her. But one thing is bothering her. “And why are you asking us rather than Michael? He has the authority to do this.” And family is much less intimidating than the Council. 

Damn it. Sam was hoping that they wouldn’t ask that. “When I presented my plan to Michael four years ago, he dismissed it, saying that it wasn’t safe enough for me to be on Earth and told me to wait ten years. But this can’t wait ten years. Rescuing prisoners is only half of the battle, only half of helping people, and we need to start the second part of that as soon as possible.”

Very well said. Simcha nods to Sam while listening to the Council mentally conversation, not bothering to contribute there as she will contribute vocally. “So you went over his head instead of waiting?”

Straightening up, Sam finally raises his eyes to meet that of the Council. “Yes. We can’t afford to keep waiting to try something that should help us better prevail in a millennia old battle. I’m ready, Gabriel is ready, and this should move forward.”

Very well. Simcha stands and bows slightly in his direction. “Very well. You have our permission to move forward. If you can get all of the employees that you need to agree to your plan, then we can begin talking about dispersing funds and selecting land on Earth, understood?”

Sam nods, surprised that it’s over, that it was that easy. He thought he’d have to go over his plan in far more detail than he did, but he’s not going to complain, not when he got what he wanted. “Thank you very much for your support, Council members. I will begin my employment efforts shortly and update you once that process is complete.”

“Make us proud,” Simcha tells them, watching the way the archangel holds himself in relation to the demon child. She would not be surprised to learn that those two are mates, not with the protective need radiating off the angel. What is it about Mammon that made demons tied to angels?

Gabriel takes Sam’s hand and leads him out of the Council's chambers. As soon as the doors shut, he lets out a whoop and picks Sam up to swing him around, just big enough to manage it. “You did it, Sam!” He knows the Council can probably easily hear them through the doors, but he doesn’t care.

Beaming, Sam lets him do whatever he wants.  _ They  _ did it. Even with Castiel’s approval, Sam knows he couldn’t have come here and asked without Gabe at his side. “We did it. Although I didn’t expect it to be that easy.” He was expecting more questions about his plans than they asked, a lot more challenges.

“You have good intentions, aren’t trying to get rich off of the plan, and are serious about this,” Gabriel tells Sam while letting his wings out to start flying home, “so they have no reason so say no. To be honest, unless you’re going to do something nasty with your plan, the Council would rather say yes and see you fail than say no. If you ever want something, best to go to them.”

That doesn’t really sound right. Sam starts flapping his wings to take off alongside Gabe while thinking it through. “Then why doesn’t everyone go to them? It makes no sense that the COuncil doesn’t care what people want to do.”

Gabriel frowns, trying to figure out how to explain it to Sam. “Most angels would never consider asking the Council for something directly. Hell, most of them wouldn’t even consider asking Michael for something. They’d go to their superior and start running it up the chain of command.” He tugs on Sam’s hand, making sure he makes the correct turn to get back home.

“You’re different. You live close to Michael and are comfortable with him. As a twelve year old, you faced the Council and were their source of information for a serious decision. The Council says yes to everything because by the time something actually reaches them, it’s going to be a well thought out plan, and they don’t want to delay it any longer.”

Oh. Well, when Gabe puts it that way, it makes a little more sense. Besides, if an angel tries to lie to or cheat the Council, the Council would be able to take care of that when deciding a punishment. “So they want me to succeed, but the chances of success don’t factor into their decision about supporting me?”

“Exactly.” Gabriel’s glad that Sam understood because he has no other way to explain the Council. It’s an angelic situation easy to understand if you’re raised an angel but not so much if you’re not. The rest of the flight is fast enough that talking becomes impossible, but they will have plenty of time for that at home.

Inside, Gabriel heads for the kitchen to get desserts to celebrate, but Sam pushes him into the sofa, dropping down on his lap, a position he hasn’t taken in years. “What?” There’s a frown on Sam’s face that he didn’t expect to see after receiving support from the Council.

“I didn’t tell you this last night, but I want to make sure that you know this.” Sam makes sure that Gabe is looking at him, focusing on him. “I wish you had told me what you were doing, that you felt the need to go to Hell to improve your military skills. You thought you had to do it, which I can understand, but I want you to talk to me, especially when you’re doing something to try and help me. If you’re doing something to help me that makes you feel shitty or guilty, I want to know because I want to help you work through that. It’s the least I can do.”

Damn. Gabriel stares at the boy, wondering how so much wisdom can come from someone so young. He’s right, that guilt has been eating him alive, and sharing it, speaking up, might help him manage it better. But that is something mates do, something that Gabriel wasn’t sure that he could ask of Sam.

Pulling Sam into his chest, Gabriel hugs him as close as possible, a few tears welling up in his eyes. “I promise to talk to you from now on, alright? I’ll be helping you now, so I won’t be in Hell, but if the guilt rises up, I’ll talk to you. But,” and Gabriel makes sure that he can see Sam’s eyes, “you have to talk to me too. If something’s going wrong, something’s frustrating you, you talk to me so that we can work it all out, alright?”

“Alright.” Sam drops his eyes so that he can snuggle into Gabe’s chest. Talking about stuff all the time is a rather big step for them, something that’s pretty adult that he’s not entirely sure he’s ready for. Then again, if Gabe’s really his mate, he’s going to have to learn to do this. Mates talk things out.

After a long time just sitting together in silence, breathing in the other’s scent, Sam sits up to smile at Gabe. “Thank you for everything today.”

“Of course.” Gabriel stands up, standing Sam on his feet in front of him. “Would you like to hang out this afternoon, or are you heading back to Cassie's?”

Sam blushes, remembering just what he did in the shower that morning and why he doesn’t want to be around later in the day. “I’m going back to Castiel’s. I need to gather my papers on who I want to start talking to try and convince people to work with us. We can meet up tomorrow morning to start planning.”

“Perfect.” Willing to risk a little after their earlier conversation and opening up to each other, Gabriel leans in to press a kiss to Sam’s cheek and then just brushing over his lips, a sweet caress. “Until tomorrow.”

Clearly surprised but not reacting poorly, Sam lets himself out of Gabriel’s house. The angel watches the boy fly off, wondering just what’s going through his head. At least he knows if something is wrong, Sam will talk to him. They both agreed after all, and Sam is a man of his word.

Once Sam is out of sight, Gabriel heads back into his house wondering what to do with the rest of his time until the next morning. Even with Lucifer and Sam’s words still bouncing around in his head, Gabriel still doesn’t trust his skills that much to instinct and biology. So he grabs his sword and heads to a practice room.

He can keep his talents sharp now with that. No need to go back to Hell, never again if he can help it. Sam needs him on Earth now, and that’s more important. He can do this.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three days from now is Christmas, so Merry Christmas in case I can't post then. Might need a break from family, so you never know.   
> Either way, here's Gabe's reaction to Sam's shower activities.

Gabor lingers as the others of the Council file out of the chamber, waiting to meet up with Simcha. “Well? Do you think he can do it?”

Simcha looks at him, raising an eyebrow. “Do I think Samuel can create a successful shelter and actually help people?” He nods. “I have no idea. My initial reaction is no. Those humans will need too much help for anyone to be able to help let alone a demon.” 

She hesitates, trying to formulate her thoughts. “Then again, if anyone can do it, I think he could. To start, he’s the only one who’s even thought of doing this.”

“Even if he does succeed, I don’t think it’ll make much of a difference,” Gabor tells her while leading her back towards his rooms. He’s been working on his manual cooking skills, and he wants to show off to Simcha. “There are simply too many humans on Earth for demons to capture. Reducing the recidivism rates of humans won’t make a dent in the number of humans abused by demons in Hell.”

Simcha snorts while wondering what hobby Gabor has picked up now. She has the occasional one to share, but he has hobby after hobby to share. “What’s the point? With that outlook, why do our warriors even bother? If there are always more humans to abuse, if there always more demons to be abusers, why do we even try?”

Gabor tries to come up with a good answer for that and can’t. “Because that’s our mission?” That’s really the best he can come up with. “I know we haven’t been in the trenches per say for a very long time, but you can’t tell me you haven’t wondered about it. Why bother when it really doesn’t make a difference in the grand scheme of things?”

“Our mission really sums it up,” Simcha admits with a little shrug. “We’re angels, and we will spend our time working to defeat demons as long as there are demons who exist. We shouldn’t need any other reason, right?”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t get tired of it,” Gabor tells her, “or start to question it. Humans might see us as beings that obey orders without questions, eventually even the most loyal of angels will have questions.”

“Perhaps. Even as hopeless as his mission seems, I really hope Samuel manages to succeed. If he does, he can show people that angels are more than just warriors. Our current set of actions, they aren’t exactly benevolent towards humans,” Simcha tells him. “We pull them out of Hell then dump them on Earth to find their own way. Literally anything would be better than what we do now.” 

“Too many warriors see humans as nothing more than vaguely sentient animals.” Gabor understands the sentiment as it seems hard to give much importance to beings with such fleeting lifespans. “Unless we can change that perspective, it’ll be hard for many to be more than just indifferent to humans and Samuel’s shelter.” 

“Is it just me who finds it odd that it’s a demon that decided to take steps to make a difference?” Simcha doesn’t get a response, but she wasn’t expecting one. “Either there is something very different about Samuel and his brother Dean, or angels and demons are far more similar than many of us are willing to admit.”

“Probably a mix of the two,” Gabor finally says, opening the door to his rooms. “The mates of an archangel and a seraph are automatically special. However, the majority of demons, especially the ones we interact with, were shaped and created by an angel. They are far more like us than we’re willing to admit.”

Simcha nods in agreement, taking a seat on one of the high stools behind the bar top counter. She might not understand a lot about humans, but she definitely appreciates their more modern architecture. This really isn’t the best topic of conversation before dinner, a little too heavy, but she isn’t sure what else to talk about. 

Well, there’s always the obvious, and she feels no shame in making an obvious change in topics. “So, what have you been working on recently?”

Gabor smirks at her question but rolls with it. “Cooking manually rather than with magic. I figured I’d try something a little more creative, and cooking comes with instructions. It’s a first step at least.” He hesitates, realizing that the new conversation actually somewhat relates to the prior one. “I want to create, not just sit around and make decisions mostly related to destruction.” 

While she doesn’t have the same urges, Simcha understands the logic. Most projects angels present to the Council are for new plans for attacking demons, mostly destructive. “Perhaps we’ve become too set in our ways. Maybe it’s a good thing we have a few demons around to shake things up, for the better.” So far at least, not that their mates would let them do otherwise.

Gabor considers it while pulling out ingredients for dinner. “Perhaps. Our Father hasn’t said anything one way or the other in centuries. If he doesn’t see fit to change anything, many will say that change is wrong.”

“They’re the ones we should be talking to the loudest,” Simcha argues with a shrug. “No change can’t be undone, and nothing with a negative outcome will last long enough to cause serious issues.” She smirks with another shrug. “If the Council goes along with it, who can really try to stop us?”

Ah, the benefits of power. Gabor doesn’t really have an answer for that though, so he shifts to focus on meal preparation. They can talk about this again later. For now, time to relax. “So, I decided to start by learning French food as it appears to be the main cuisine taught in culinary schools. Let me walk you through what I’ve learned.”

Simcha rolls with the new topic. Even seraphim can only talk about heavy topics for so long. “Walk me through it.” 

\----------

Left alone in his house, Gabriel looks around, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the day. He thinks for a moment then heads directly to his basement. Even with all of the assurances from the others that his skills are more than sufficient, up to date after a few years in Hell, Gabriel still feels the need to train. 

He isn’t going back down to Hell if can avoid it though. Several centuries ago, one of the instructors created a spell that brings training dummies to life, more or less. Gabriel appropriated several for his own training purposes. 

Each dummy can have its own skill level, and Gabriel walks among them trying to figure out how to set them. Although it may benefit him to practice with all of them at the highest level, leaving a few dummies at a lower skill level. Sometimes the stupid move of the not so skilled is what it takes to break through a skilled fighter’s focus and gain a brief upper hand. 

Activating the spells, Gabriel grabs his swords and faces off with the dummies. The strongest ones head for him first, but Gabriel makes sure to keep an eye on the weaker ones as well. None of them will lay a sword on him, none. 

Several hours later, Gabriel waves a hand to turn the dummies off, done with training for the day. Even facing off against eight dummies, Gabriel held his own against them all. Maybe he’ll take the spell to Sam and see if he can revamp the spell. As nice as the success is, Gabriel’s slightly worried that it’s because he’s comfortable with the spells, not because his skills are improving. 

Either way, it’s something to deal with later. He waves his hands to take care of his swords, sharpening them again and putting them back where they belong. Next step is a nice shower before dinner. Just because he can clean himself with another wave of his hand doesn’t mean he can appreciate a shower. 

Gabriel strips while turning on the water to the correct temperature. As he steps inside, he realizes that he can smell Sam in the shower from this morning. He frowns, face wrinkling up as he tries to figure out why. A shower wouldn’t leave a lingering scent all day. The only explanation he can come up with is-

Oh. 

Oh!

Sam had a little fun this morning in the shower. Apparently he doesn’t know about the spell to take care of erections quickly. But even as Gabriel considers teaching him, trying to come up with a way that isn’t awkward, he hesitates. The idea of Sam stroking himself off in Gabriel’s shower is one that really appeals to him. 

As he pictures it, the smell starts to drive Gabriel mad, and he takes himself in hand, already hard. How could he be anything else with the smell of his mate’s cum in the air? Gabriel focuses even harder on picturing it, picturing Sam pleasuring himself as Gabriel’s hand moves up and down his cock. 

What would he be like? Would his inexperience push him to keep quiet, teeth digging into his lower lip to keep the noises in? Or would he let the little sounds spill out of his mouth to draw Gabriel in to hear every one?

Gabriel can only imagine how beautiful he’d look while lost in pleasure. Cheeks pinked with arousal instead of embarrassment for once. Eyes closed as he lets himself feel rather than letting them rest after reading for too long. Lips open to pant in lieu of sharing his brilliance. 

None of those are bad things, but Gabriel can’t help but prefer the idea of Sam comfortable enough to do something sexual in his shower. 

Heavy lids, pouty lips, active had, Gabriel lets that impression of Sam fill his mind as his own hand moves faster and faster up and down his cock. He’s hard enough it hurts, but he knows it won’t be long before he cums. Sure enough, the idea of his name slipping past Sam’s lips pushes him over the edge. 

As his cum paints the walls, Gabriel groans because now he can smell them together, scents mingling like they belong together. If Sam’s scent was tantalizing, their scents together are torture. Even seconds after an explosive orgasm, body still shaking with aftershocks of pleasure, Gabriel’s dick starts to rise again. 

He doesn’t bother fighting it, knowing it’s not worth it and not wanting to deal with the damn spell again like he did in the morning. Once he’s fully hard again, Gabriel takes himself in hand and starts stroking himself off, adding a spell for lube this time. There’s only so much water can do to help. 

Gabriel starts breathing heavier, the sensations starting to overwhelm him. His hands are too big to really imagine it, but he can still try to guess what Sam’s hands will feel like on his body. A hand drifts up to tweak his nipple, pinching as he wonders if Sam’d be willing to suck on them. He loves nipple play, having sensations all over his body instead of just his dick. 

“Please Sam, touch me,” Gabriel whispers, caught up in the fantasy, one hand teasing his nipple and chest, the other drifting down to cup his balls. He fondles them, rolls them over his fingers and a stray stream of water manages to hit him right on the slit at the head of his cock. 

That’s the final straw, Gabriel cumming all over the shower wall for the second time. He frowns slightly when he realizes that his scent now outweighs Sam’s scent, but there’s no changing that. Perhaps he can convince Sam to come over again for a repeat private performance. He doubts it, but he can dream. 

Done for the night, Gabriel actually showers now, cleaning himself and the shower before drying off and heading for bed, naked. He doesn’t want to sleep alone, no so soon after a night with Sam, but it was going to happen eventually. Sam still lives with Castiel and will for the foreseeable future. 

Perhaps, once they’re on Earth, and they have a chance to spend even more time together, things could change. He wants to court Sam, show him just how much he loves him, and on Earth, they’ll live in the same building. Perhaps they’ll eventually be able to share a room. He just has to be patient. Sam is new to relationships, and he doesn’t wants to push him too far too fast. 

Gabriel can be patient. Sam is more than worth it. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a little late. Christmas was great, and I got super caught up with family. Hope you all had as much fun as I did. Got a new bar for my industrial piercing, a white gold arrow. So happy!!!

Michael holds Lucifer close to him, taking a moment together. They’re about to go on a raid, and Michael needs this moment of them together to calm down. The demons have been extra active since the transition of Wrath’s power, and he doesn’t like bringing Lucifer into that. But Lucifer could give him valuable information, so down he’s going.

“It’ll be fine,” Lucifer assures his mate, stroking his hair and wings. “I know how to handle myself down there, and you’ll be there to protect me as well. We will survive, and we will get the information we need.”

“I hope so.” If Michael takes Lucifer to Hell only to learn nothing, it’ll be pointless. And he does not want to take any risks for something pointless.

A knock on the door has Lucifer waving a hand to open it, revealing Sigal in the doorway. “It’s time to go. We need to go through the portal in about ten minutes or we’ll be too late.” They got their hands on a schedule during a raid, so they know exactly where Wrath plans to strike next.

“Understood.” Not wanting to lose any closeness with his mate, Michael picks up Lucifer and carries him out to join the rest of the garrison. Castiel raises an eyebrow at the display but doesn’t say anything.

Since Michael’s a little occupied, Lucifer has him spin them around so Lucifer can face the garrison. “This is a standard raid but at the same time not. The goal of this raid is to get me close enough to the most powerful Wrath demon to see if I can pick up on whatever the odd magic tied to Wrath comes from. We know about Greedy and Envy, ut e need to identify the other factor too, so shuffle those guys over to Mikey and I.”

Rakefet raises her eyebrow at the Archangel Michael being called Mikey but doesn’t say anything. Everyone knows how those two are with each other even if they’ve never experienced it. This is a little more touchy feely that she was expecting though. “Should we injure them first? You are clearly capable of handling them yourselves, but it may help if you don’t have to focus on fighting them too.”

Huh. Lucifer hadn’t actually thought about that since magic tends to fade at death, and she’s right, he can handle them. “A few cuts and slashes aren’t bad, but try not to make it fatal since that’ll reduce my chances to learn what I need.”

Rakefet and the others nod their understanding of the order. The archangels are more than capable of taking care of themselves, so they will follow the order. However, given how wrapped around his mate he is, Michael doesn’t appear to be as confident as Lucifer.

They head to the portal as it powers up, and once it’s ready, Michael leads the garrison through the portal, Lucifer at his side. Within seconds of stepping out of the portal, angels and demons are fighting each other to the death. Thankfully for Heaven, no angels have died so far, and they likely won’t, but there’s always a chance.

Unfortunately, there’s too many demons. Instead of it making it easier for Lucifer to catch that subtle, hidden scent, it’s harder. There are too many individual scents for his nose or magic to sense what he’s looking for. Even with his garrison funneling demons to him, he can’t do it.

He signals Michael, indicating the corridor behind him where there won’t be as many demons, where he’ll have a better chance of identifying the scent. Michael glares at Lucifer but doesn’t argue, just cuts his way through the demons to get to his mate’s side. “If you die, I will kill you myself.”

Lucifer just smirks at Michael before flipping off a few demons and running down the corridor. Swearing, they follow him with Michael hot on their heels. He’ll give his mate a chance to accomplish his goal, but if the demons get the upper hand, Michael will kill them, period.

“Can’t catch me,” Lucifer taunts before turning around and stabbing one of the demons through the shoulder. It drops its sword, fingers not working anymore, and Lucifer leans in to breathe in the scent of his blood. Wrath magic, Greed magic, Envy magic, and something. Something he can’t identify but seems old, very old.

All demons in a line are connected since they draw their power from their Sin, the reason Lucifer can smell Greed and Envy on a foot soldier even though the original spell is on Wrath. But the further from Wrath in power, the weaker the sense of the other magic. Lucifer needs to find a nobleman, the stronger the better, or Wrath himself if he wants to figure this out. 

When a sword comes down just to his left, Lucifer jolts out of his focus on scenting to fight for his life. He drops the sword still in the demon to materialize another one, fighting off the dying demon’s buddy. No more taunting, no jokes, just blow after blow traded as they work to kill their enemy.

Lucifer swears at the cut along his bicep but lands a blow to the demon’s thigh in return, so it works. They go back and forth, swords creating a battle song as they waltz through the corridor. Michael watches the whole thing, a few quick sword thrusts to hearts preventing other demons from interfering in the fight. Lucifer can’t afford to be distracted.

“Ah, fuck it.” Tired of trying to get a whiff while fighting, Lucifer heats up his sword before cutting off both arms then spinning behind the demon to cut off its wings.

“Traitor!” Russell falls to his knees, spreading them to keep his balance so that he doesn’t fall on his face. With no arms, no wings, he’d fall on his face. “You should be fighting with us, not against us.”

Lucifer sighs, moving up behind the demon to try to identify the scent once again just in case. Damn, still nothing. “I’m not so much a traitor as a I am an absent parent. Learned from the best, I guess.” God never really did like sticking around for too long. “Now, shut up.”

“Hurry up, Lucifer,” Michael orders, starting to get a little uneasy. They’ve been cut off from the rest of the garrison for long enough, and he wants to get back to them as soon as possible. He watches his mate get closer and closer to the demon, but he just shakes his head.

“I have no fucking clue.” Lucifer moves to try again but a noise at the end of the corridor steals his attention. “Shit.” He creates a ball of heat in his hand and destroys the demon in second before running back to his mate. “We need to leave.”

“Agreed.” Michael pulls Lucifer alongside him as they head back to the main cavern they were working in. “Did you get it?”

“No. And I have no idea how to figure it out without finding Wrath himself. Maybe Sam will have some ideas.” If anyone can come up with a plan to intensify a scent, it’s Sam. Lucifer pushes the idea out of his head and focuses on the demons in front of him. They need to get to the portal ASAP.

“Move, exit!” Michael hollers, waving at the angels in their garrison. They take off for the portal where Michael earlier dropped a spell that will prevent any demons getting through until he does. Of course, that means he has to be last, but he can live with that.

Lucifer swings two swords with ease, not trying to kill the demons exactly but doing whatever he can to clear the path in front of him. With only twenty angels with them this time, there’s no way they can defeat the fifty odd demons heading for the cavern. Blood raining down on him isn’t pleasant, but it’ll get him out of Hell alive.

Just before he jumps through the portal, Lucifer notices that Michael isn’t behind him anymore. He stares at his mate, wondering what the Hell when he realizes that there are still three other angels to evacuate and that Michael’s magic is blended with the portal. The son of a bitch. Panic rises in him as he realizes that if the demons arrive first, he could lose his mate.

“Come on, come on, come on.” Lucifer ushers the others through the portal, using a little magic to speed them along and then a lot of magic to pull Michael to him. They make it through the portal just as the new horde of demons arrives, falling to the ground in Heaven as Michael’s foot catches on the closing portal.

“Oh, thank Heaven.” Michael rolls over on his back, trying to catch his breath. “That was a close one.”

“A close one?!” Lucifer rolls over to straddle his mate, glaring down at him. “A close one?! You tied your magic to the portal so that you  _ had  _ to be the last one through the portal. No, no, no, you are not allowed to do that.”

Lucifer has been to Hell several times since Cassie brought Sam and Dean up to Heaven, but even when they were facing down Mammon, Lucifer wasn’t as worried as he was today. Awkward position not bothering him, he leans down to bury his face in his mate’s chest, breathing in his scent, trying to calm down. If Michael ever puts himself in that position again, he’s going to kill him.

Shit. Michael was so focused on getting Lucifer safely out of Hell that he forgot to focus on how his actions could affect his mate. “I’m sorry.” He runs a hand up and down Lucifer’s back, trying to soothe him and help him feel better. They have an audience, so he can’t do too much which means he needs to get them out of there so that they can do what they want.

Sigal watches the mates and starts ushering the other angels out of the room. The couple needs a chance to reassure each other that they’re alright after the raid. Once they’re outside, mentions of the Council of Seraphim snag her attention, and she joins the group talking.

“So apparently he has a new project, and he asked the Council for approval and funding.” Enoch shakes his head, face impressed. “Takes serious balls to do that, especially when you could just ask Michael.”

“Asked the Council for what?” Sigal looks at Enoch, smiling when he meets her eyes. He’s always been a fun angel to be around, and she missed him while he was working with other garrisons to pick up new skills.

“Sam went to the Council and got permission for a new project. No one knows what the project is,” he admits, “but we know he asked for something and got it.”

Huh. Sigal wonders why Sam went to the Council instead of Michael, but she’s sure that he has a good reason for it. “Well, I’m sure we’ll learn what the project is eventually. Once he starts working on it, it’ll be pretty hard to hide. If it was a secret project, we wouldn’t even know he went to the Council.”

“You want to know what the best part is?” Enoch gets up and takes her hands, starting a little dance that has them both smiling. “Gabriel was with him. Gabriel was with Sam the entire time for lots of support. You think those two are a thing like their brothers are?” He’s glad she’s back, missing her when she worked with other garrisons. 

Sigal thinks about it as they keep dancing around the room. “They could be. I definitely wouldn’t be surprised to hear that they are. I’m just not sure how that’ll all work out. Sam is wonderful, but he doesn’t quite seem like he’s ready for a relationship yet, and Gabriel can only wait for his mate so long.”

“True.” Enoch shrugs, not knowing that much about mates, never bothering to learn since he’s pretty sure he doesn’t have one. He’s been working up the courage to ask Sigal about cohabiting, but now he's a little nervous with all this talk about mates that she might say no. Some angels like to say they’re waiting for their mate to come along regardless of the low odds, a convenient lie.

“Either way, they’ll figure it out. If it becomes an issue for Gabriel, we all know Sam’s the one who could find something to help him.” After the research he did into punishments for Bartholomew and the way he defended Castiel, every angel knows that he can learn anything. “As long as they’re happy.”

“As long as they're happy.” Enoch pulls her closer so that they can dance cheek to cheek. He’ll find his happy, once he has the courage. Which should be soon. He thinks. Most likely.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam is moving things forward. His shelter is going to help people, and he's going to make this happen. You got this, Sam!

A few days later, Sam stares at his papers, no idea where to start. He has all of this planned out, who he needs to talk to, what supplies he thinks he needs, and he even has permission to do things and has funds. But he has no idea what to start with. “Shit.” He drops his head down on the table with a sigh, frustrated. Ugh.

“Start with a place,” Sam decides, talking to himself to try and motivate himself further. Saying words is more progress than just maybe kind of thinking about things. “Where am I supposed to do this?”

He has to find a place that will have enough magic for hurt demons and humans who know too much. And somewhere that is populated enough that they won’t pay attention to them at all. Maybe…

Running over to Dean’s room, he digs through the papers to find the information on the witch who did his magical tattoo. She has a connection to the supernatural community in her city, and she passed Castiel’s tests. Sam should start with her, see if she has any advice for him on where he should put his first shelter.

“You want to what?” Gabe looks at Sam sitting next to him on the sofa, clearly not understanding his vision. “Why do you want to talk to a witch? I’m not necessarily opposed, but I want to understand.”

Sam sighs, trying to figure out how to say it. “We live in Heaven. The only times we’re on Earth is for short trips to buy things. We’re not immersed in Earth, in the way it works.

“Paloma is on Earth. She’ll know where the most survivors from your raids end up. She’ll know where demons congregate when they can’t go back to Hell. And she’ll know where they’d be willing to come to get some help. We have no idea, so I’m going to the closest thing to an expert that I can come up with.” Maybe that’ll explain it.

Gabriel nods, understanding now. “And do you think that she’ll work with us?” Tattooing an angel’s mate differs quite a bit from actively helping an angel and a demon. 

He has no idea. “We won’t know until we ask. But I can’t go alone, so will you go with me? I have her information from Dean’s notes, so I know where to go.” Sam shows him the papers indicating a country called Brazil in South America. 

“There’s one other thing that you have to agree to before we can go.” Gabriel shifts in his seat, really not sure how Sam will take this. He’s very protective of his family, but he clearly also cares about humans and demons. “If she declines to work with us, I will have to alter her memories, remove her knowledge that I am an angel, that you are a demon.”

Even as an angel, he can admit that his need to protect Sam trumps some of his morals. 

The idea of messing with someone’s memories really doesn’t appeal, but Sam understands the concern. He takes a deep breath, running through the pros and cons of potentially messing with the woman’s head. “Will her magic interfere with your ability to alter her memories?”

Trust Sam to pick up on the little details. “It shouldn’t. I’ve had to do this before, and the witch’s magic didn’t interfere. It generally helps if the witch is asleep though.” Gabriel doesn’t like pissed off witches even if they are easy enough to handle, so he’ll do it when she’s less likely to lash out.

If this is what it takes to make this happen, then Sam can accept the qualifiers. “Alright. If she doesn’t want to work with us, then you can do what you need to do. But we also tell her as little as possible until we have to or she’s on board to reduce the chances of needing to alter her memories.” 

Nodding, Gabriel stands up and holds out a hand for Sam. “Then let’s go. Brazil is calling.” It doesn’t take too long for him to bring them down to Earth, waving his hand to alter their clothes so that they match humans. Jeans and tee shirts with a hoodie for Sam and a jacket for him.

Sam uses the map to lead them through the streets, a winding, twisting maze that doesn’t seem to fully match the map. He can’t tell if the map is outdated or if the maps are always a little lacking. It’s mostly right though, and it gets them close enough to the shop that he can eventually just follow the sense of magic.

Paloma looks up to see two men enter her shop. She has never seen them before, but she has felt beings like them before, when she tattooed a cat on a young man’s shoulder. Perhaps one of them is the brilliant brother who helped with the herbs and spellwork. “Afternoon, how can I help you?”

As he looks at her, Sam realizes that he’s never actually interacted with a human before. He has no idea how to do this. “Um, I’m looking for Paloma, the owner of the shop.”

His nerves are filling the air, and she waves her hand to lock the door and flip the sign to closed. Perhaps if she proves her magic, that he’s in the right place, he may relax a little. The older man behind him though, Paloma has a feeling will not relax at all. “I am Paloma. How can I help you?” She gives a small smile, still hoping to help him relax. 

Sam takes a deep breath. “My name is Sam, and I have a big proposal for you. I have plans, but I need assistance, and I think you’ll be the person for that.” He takes another deep breath. “But first, I’m a demon.”

Gabriel raises an eyebrow at the statement. So much for holding back for her sake. 

Paloma swears and takes a step back. Someone planning on hurting her probably wouldn’t announce it quite so explicitly, but he’s a demon. “And how can I help a demon?  _ Why  _ would I help a demon?”

“Because not all of us are bad.” Sam gestures behind him. “This is Gabriel, the Archangel, and we would like your assistance setting up a shelter designed to help humans rescued from Hell.” No need to mention right away that they’ll be helping demons too.

Gabriel the Archangel? Paloma stares at the man behind the boy, crossing herself out of habit. She has never seen proof of her religion, simply has faith, but even having faith never quite prepared her for the idea of meeting an angel.

He smiles at her before gesturing to the top of her door frame where passive magic still resonates even years later. “You met my brother Castiel, when you gave his mate a tattoo. Dean loves that cat, shows it off to all of his friends.”

Hmm. Paloma starts to connect the dots. “Then Sam, you must be the brother who helped him make the tattoo everything he wanted it to be.” She smiles a little at the boy, not so bothered by the fact that he is a demon anymore. If an archangel is willing to be with him, he can’t be that evil.

“Yes.” Sam smiles back at her, glad that she doesn’t seem to be quite as bothered by him anymore, finally able to relax. “He’s still trying to talk Castiel into matching heartbeat tattoos, and Castiel pretty much always gives him what he wants, so they’ll probably be back.”

“Have you ever considered a tattoo?” The witch turns away to fiddle with some things in the corner, water starting to heat up as she opens tins that releases the scent of tea. “I liked the idea of a moving tattoo, and doing another would be fun.”

“I’m not really a tattoo kind of person.” When he can live forever, something that permanent needs a lot of thinking through for Sam. Right now, he doesn’t have time to commit to that. “Gabe?”

Gabriel shrugs, still watching the witch as she prepares her tea, making sure that it’s really just tea. “If I found the right design, I wouldn’t say no to one.” The tea smells fine, and he relaxes a little, just a little.

Once the water boils, Paloma pours her tea then walks around the counter to the table she uses for tarot readings. “Please, have a seat. This sounds like this might take some time.”

Sam sits across from her at the little round table, Gabe on his right. His hand moves up and down his thigh, nerves pushing him to move something, and Gabe reaches over to take his hand. The contact between them helps him calm down a little.

He runs through his plan, that he wants to help people so that they can move past whatever happened to them in Hell. Wants to make the angelic raids be worth more than just killing some easily replaced demons. “But I don’t know where to put the shelter, and I was wondering if you could help with that.”

Paloma stares at the boy wondering if he understands the magnitude of what he’s planning. Angels don’t often meddle in the affairs of humanity. They stay in Heaven and only come down when absolutely necessary. To have them permanently on Earth and deliberately helping humans so close seems completely out of character.

“This will only work if you can find the staff to support you in the shelter. Do you really believe that you can get enough angels to work with you on this?” Paloma finds herself cautiously interested, but she has a lot of questions before committing to the project.

Well… “I don’t know. There are a few things that may be in our favor. First of all, we have set it up so that helping us can take place of the required service in Hell. Plenty of angels don’t want to be in Hell.”

“And secondly, not all angels are indifferent to humans,” Gabriel adds, giving Sam a chance to rest his voice. Perhaps he could use some tea himself for his throat. “Although it might take some convincing for them to work under a demon, there will be plenty of angels willing to help humans.” Those angels might not be the strongest or the most influential, but that won’t matter on Earth or to humans. 

“So what exactly is it that you want me to do?” Sam seems to have everything fairly planned out, so Paloma doesn’t quite see where she fits into this.

“I’d like your assistance locating a city for our shelter. I was hoping that you would have enough connections in the supernatural community that you might have an idea if survivors of Hell tend to clump in one area which could benefit the most from a shelter.” Sam crosses his fingers, a little superstition he came across while researching humans that stuck with him as a good idea.

“Here, in Rio de Janeiro.” Paloma gestures off behind her, roughly in the general direction of Christ the Redeemer. “The statue seems to bring people needing a little more religion in their lives, a sign of God. There are rumors all over the city of people who don’t quite fit in but have come for and stayed for the statue.”

“And I’m sure once the word spreads that there is something here to help people, even more people will come here.” Gabriel smiles at Sam who relaxes more and more with every question from Paloma. Her interest in the project is a good sign for his plans. “Perhaps we could set up a service to help move people into the city. We don’t want location to prevent people from getting help.” No reason they can’t help past survivors as well as future ones. 

Paloma shakes her head at the idea before stopping to think about it. “If you are bringing people in yourselves, then technically they will be coming in illegally, per the government. How would you handle when they’re ready to get a job?”

That’s what sucks about this whole thing. While in the shelter, the humans and demons they help don’t need a legal status. The angels buying supplies will have the money necessary, and they’ll be the ones primarily interacting with the civilians in the city. “Well, we can create papers for anyone for whatever country they want. A little magic goes a long way.”

“And we can also work to revive their situation in whichever country they originally came from.” Gabriel shrugs, not too bothered by the details of human governments. Then again, if this is going to work, he’ll probably have to start respecting them. “Perhaps you could help with that, if you know anyone who can work some ‘magic’ with computers to help establish the people we help in the shelter.”

She does know a few witches who work better with computers than herbs, one of whom lost several family members to demons. “We could discuss that. What’s your next step, now that I’ve agreed to work with you?”

Sam lets out a sigh of relief when she says that. Yes, she’s been asking questions, but curiosity doesn’t mean that she’s interested in actually working on the project with them. “Next, we go real estate shopping. We need a location before we can do anything else. If we can’t get a building, then we have nothing.”

Paloma smiles, already planning for the next day that she can leave Miguel in charge of the shop so that she can take them shopping. “What’s the next time you can come back to Earth?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! I hope this year is everything that you want it to be. This year, I'm actually going to make the changes I want to see in my life, and I'm using a bullet journal to keep track of it all. That includes posting here every three days, I promise. I hope to see you all throughout the rest of the year here, and I look forward to hearing your feedback and commentary!

Sam drops down in the chair at the coffee shop, totally worn out. They’ve been looking at buildings for two days now, and he’s seen enough. He’s looking for something in particular, and he’ll know it when he sees it, but he doesn’t know how to explain it to Paloma.

She signals for a waiter so that they can all order a drink, slumping into the bench of the booth. “You’re not telling me enough for me to pick you a place. What aren’t you telling me?”

He takes a deep breath, trying to pull together the words to explain something that’s really only a feeling. “I’m looking for something that feels more magical, something that ties the building to the land under it.” That’s the only way that he can think to explain it.

“Maybe we should try for places that were made by other magic users,” Gabriel offers, not quite as worn out as Sam but getting a little bored with it. “They’d probably look for a similar feeling, so maybe we can benefit from work they’ve already done.” Anything to end the search, to move forward with their plans.

Paloma nods at the idea, trying to think of places she knows rumored to have magical ties, and that’s when it clicks. “Ley lines. You’re looking for buildings that run over ley lines or are near nodes.”

Sam looks at her, confused because he’s never heard these terms before. “What are you talking about?” How has he not heard of ley lines before? Maybe he needs to do more research into human magic than he originally thought.

“Ley lines carry magic throughout the Earth,” Paloma explains, settling down now that they’re covering something she knows well. “They run in unpredictable but mapped patterns, carrying magical energy in currents. Witches who know about them can tap into them to fuel their magic above the power levels in their bodies alone.”

Gabriel nods along with her, the conversation reminding him of some things he learned long ago. “There are certain animals, natural and supernatural, that can tap into the lines as well. If they stray too far from the lines, they don’t live as well.”

“And just like natural animals can sense them, so can non magical humans.” Paloma gestures at the people all around them. “Most major cities in history have been built on nodes, intersections of ley lines. That’s one reason cities are built on the ruins of other cities. Nodes provide energy for everyone around.”

“I assume Rio de Janeiro has a strong node.” Paloma nods at Sam’s statement. “Well, if you can find a place on a ley line, I’m willing to look. At this point, I’m willing to look at almost anything,” Sam admits. He has a long list of requirements for the shelter, and he does not want to remove any of them. He will find a way to make this work his way.

“Then there’s a building I have in mind for you. It’s a warehouse,” Paloma admits even though they’ve been trying to avoid those, “but it sits over a small node. That will help build magic that will help restructure the interior to match your needs.”

“I’ve been studying expansion magic,” Sam tells her, pulling out a few pages he used for notes so that she can see it. “Will doing angelic magic over an earthly note create problems?”

Paloma knows a lot of magic, but this is completely foreign to her. She has no idea what she is looking at, can’t even determine the purpose of the magic. “We’ll have to try that at the warehouse. All magic shares the same roots, and it’s the user’s intentions, and tradition that changed it over time to create categories like human and angelic.” And demonic, but she doesn’t want to bring that up. 

Gabriel tries to remember his old magic history classes, the ones he learned in his youth as he started to grow into his magic. “All demonic magic is an offshoot of angelic given that the majority of demons stem from an angel’s manipulations. That’s why it’s simple enough to do both if you take the time to learn both styles.”

“But there is a big difference between angels and humans,” Paloma argues, wanting to be sure before she allows people to do magic that may destroy part of the city. “Have you ever mixed human and angelic magic?”

“Does it really matter?” Sam flinches as the other two whip around to stare at him. “The ley line isn’t inherently human. It’s an energy source that’s generally used by humans. As long as I can access it, the energy should be funneled into any spell I choose.” If he can put demonic magic into a crystal designed for angelic magic, then human energy should fuel angelic magic.

When he puts it that way, Paloma has to admit that he has a good point. “Energy is energy, but that idea is a little more casual with magic than I am used to.” Pulling on the lines wrong or using too much of her own energy could kill her, something she doubts Sam worries too much about. Maybe putting new eyes and ideas on magic will be a good thing.

“Then why doesn’t Sam try something small,” Gabriel offers, “both angelic and demonic, using the ley lines. If it works, then Sam can start researching into the ley lines to make sure that he continues to have no problems when using even more energy.”

Paloma and Sam exchange a look and nod in agreement to Gabriel’s plan. With that settled, they can enjoy their coffee and muffins as Paloma tells them stories about the city they’ll soon be joining in.

Once done, Paloma leads them to the warehouse that she has in mind. Sam starts by checking out the neighborhood, wanting something that’s not the slums but isn’t the suburbs either. A few kids look at them as they approach the door, but they look away quickly when they realize that they’ve been caught.

“Several of the surrounding warehouses have been renovated into apartment buildings, so having people in and out won’t look out of place.” Paloma whispers a small spell as she moves deeper inside, trying to keep the dust down.

“Plenty of room here already,” Gabriel comments, looking at the roof four stories above them. The whole space is empty which means a blank slate to do whatever they want with it. “Are you planning on using magic for the renovations or physical work?”

“Physical,” Sam says, trying to picture what will happen once they start working. “I want this to be something that can last even when we’re not here, doesn’t need an angel for upkeep. This may be the first shelter, but I don’t want it to be the last.”

If they’re going to physically build the shelter, worrying about the ley lines isn’t important up front. In the future, when they have more residents, Sam wants something to fuel magical expansions to the warehouse without him there. Not all angels staffing the shelter will be strong enough to fuel an entire expansion. No matter how they start, Sam has to think and plan for the future because he refuses to consider anything other than success. 

“And are you going to ask angels or humans to do the work?” Gabriel isn’t opposed to some manual labor, but some angels are about magic, magic, and more magic.

“Angels.” Sam doesn’t want to involve too many humans, not when the work will be physical but there will be expansion magic to make the space even bigger, if necessary. “I don’t really want to involve humans other than the ones we’re helping. To start, this is angels only. We can let more humans in when we know that everything will work.”

This is his pet project, and he isn’t willing to risk it at all.

Paloma watches Sam walk through the space, eyes scanning every inch, hands moving to frame things in his mind. Then his back shifts and wings explode from his back, making her step back in shock, fingers weaving a protection spell. When she realizes that she’s not in danger, she just focuses on watching him move.

There’s more than enough room for him to make circles in the air above her, and Paloma admits to being awed. She has never seen anything like this before. His wings remind her of a bat, leathery yet somewhat soft. It makes her smile, seeing the young boy smiling at his flight even as he focuses so hard on the space around them.

“He’s wonderful, isn’t he?” She startles at the voice next to her, not realizing that the archangel had joined her. Paloma has spoken with him several times but always with Sam next to him. Alone, the archangel makes her more than a little nervous.

“He is. Does he have any idea how different his plan is, to have angels and humans living together?” Paloma doesn’t look at him directly, but she can still see the fondness on the archangel’s face as he watches the boy fly around the warehouse.

“And demons.” Gabriel smiles when she startles. “Demons victimize demons as well as humans, mostly the weakest who might as well be human other than their wings and tails. Sam wants to help the demons as well, make sure they don’t end up back in Hell either.”

“Angels and demons and humans.” Paloma shakes her head in admiration. “And that’s how you know he’s young. Once you reach my age or yours, you become a little more set in your ways and wouldn’t even consider that.”

Gabriel agrees with her completely. To be honest, he’s slightly surprised that he’s willing to go along with the idea. Then again, if anyone other than Sam had asked him to work on this and include demons, he probably would have said no. “Sam is unique. We all like to think that we’re special, but I know that Sam is special.”

The emotion in his voice pulls at Paloma to look at him directly for the first time. There’s something on his face that says the archangel sees him as more than just a partner in their project. “Is he your partner? Like Dean and his angel?” She’s guessing here, but she’s curious and wants to know what she’s getting into.

He gives a little shrug, some of the happiness leaving his face. “Yes, but no. We have the potential to be that close, but Sam needs more time. He doesn’t have the best relationship examples in his life, so he needs to mature emotionally before he’s ready.”

It hurts to say it, but Gabriel knows that that is what his mate needs. Time to grow, time to be curious, time to research into relationships. If they were to jump into something now, it would never work, would have too weak of a foundation for a relationship that’ll last forever.

He can be patient. If he’s waited this long to find his mate, he can wait a little longer to actually have his mate.

“It will be interesting to see him grow.” Paloma doesn’t have children of her own, but she’s been the aunt who answered all the questions her nieces and nephews didn’t feel comfortable asking their parents. What’s one more child to help? Because even with his plans and his magic, Sam is still a child. It shows in the playful flips he does in the air.

“This will be great,” Sam announces once he lands on the ground. Paloma didn’t run away screaming, and he hopes that’s a sign that she’s okay with him being a demon. He can’t change what he is, just what he does. “So the last thing to test is the ley lines.”

“Can you feel them?” Paloma closes her eyes and reaches to the Earth with her senses, finding the lines with ease. She doesn’t bother tapping into them, not needing a boost of energy or having a spell to perform.

Sam closes his eyes and focuses on the low hum of energy he’s felt ever since they stepped into the building. It reminds him of the energy in Hell, the sense of something there that he never really used. He was too young before he was rescued and hasn’t been back much.

The more he focuses, the less it feels like energy filling the air and more like currents through the air. He follows the currents back to their source, moving through the floor and into the ground below. The more he focuses, the more the magic condenses until all he can feel is two streams of magic under the building that overflow their ‘banks’ to fill the air.

Avoiding where the streams cross, the energy there stronger than he needs, Sam stretches out a magical finger to let the magic spill over his fingers. He gasps at the energy filling him and holds out his actual hand to create a small flame.

Except he creates a massive tower of flames reaching ten feet into the air. All three people cry out in shock as Sam pulls his fingers out of the ley line. He stares at the others, a little sheepish. “Well, demons can definitely use ley lines.”

Paloma laughs out her nervous energy. “Yes, they can. They just need to learn a little control. I can teach you that.”

Sam’s first reaction is to decline, to let her know that he has a library that can teach him what he needs to know. But this is what she does, how she does her magic, and he really doesn’t want to burn down the building or blow it up. “That is probably a good idea. I was planning on taking the next few weeks to start hiring people, but I could come down to learn as well.”

“As long as we have a schedule,” Gabriel reminds him. “If we’re making regular trips down to Earth with you using magic, we need to have something official to show to Michael.”

Michael. Right. Sam looks down at his feet, really not looking forward to that conversation. He still hasn’t told Michael that he went to the Council, that he went behind his back. He’s sure that Michael meant well, but he wasn’t going to wait as long as he wanted. “We’ll work with Paloma’s schedule.”

Something tells her that she’s missing something, but Paloma doesn’t push. She doesn’t need to know if they aren’t going to say. Besides, she needs to go home and let all of this soak in, decide if she’s willing to keep working with them. Playing real estate agent is one thing, but teaching a demon is a whole other level. “Would you like to talk it through with Michael before planning with me? You can count on one or two days a week from me.” That gives her a little more time to make up her mind.

Sam and Gabe exchange a look, and Sam nods at Gabe. Even though Michael can’t stop him and his plan, he does want him to know that it’s coming. He really doesn’t want Michael to hear it from someone else first. “We’ll be back once we’re ready to start planning things. It’ll probably be a few weeks. There’s no point in lessons if I can’t get the staff we need for the shelter.”

Paloma nods, and Gabriel steps a little closer. “And what will we owe you for this?” No witch works for free even if she is helping with something for the greater good.

She wondered when price would come up. “Simple. Anytime you need human magic, or materials for spells that you don’t already have, you reach out to me. I am your source for everything magical on Earth. You get my name out there, and you help the people suffering in my city, and we have a deal.”

Although she could push for something worth a lot more, Paloma doesn’t want to risk losing this. And she really does want to see people helped out after they go through Hell, literally. Paloma is willing to support anyone willing to take the time to help the survivors.

Gabriel feels like she’s holding back, but he holds out his hand for them to shake on that agreement. They shake, short and simple, and then they say their goodbyes. A little magic will put the warehouse in his name, send the money to the owners, and he wants to move forward with that now. He’s not willing to risk Sam missing out on his dream.

Decisions made and settled for the day, they go their own ways, all wondering if they will actually see each other again. Things are moving forward, but there are still so many things that could go wrong. Gabriel will do everything that he can to make sure that this works for Sam.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. My dad's staging his house to sell, and I lost hours helping him, and then the power wet out last night. I'll be back on schedule posting starting tomorrow. I've got another chapter almost done that'll be up tomorrow.
> 
> Poor Sammy. He's starting to be more aware of relationships and try to figure out what interests him. Eventually, he'll figure out what (and who) he wants.

Sam paces the library, drowning in his nerves. He has to tell Michael that he went to the Council, and he doesn’t know how to do this. He knows the human phrase that it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission, but Sam doesn’t know if the same applies when dealing with an archangel.

“Talk to me.” Sam jumps and twists to see Dean leaning against the doorframe. “Why are you so nervous?”

“Because I have to tell Michael that I’m moving forward with the shelter.” Sm drops down in an armchair, gesturing for Dean to sit across from him. “He made his decision for a reason, and I don’t want him to be mad that I went to the Council.”

“He was worried about security,” Dean reminds Sam, “and you’ve addressed that. You’ll have more spells for security and warriors as well. Things have died down some with the demons, so we should be fine.”

“And I have Gabriel for security.” Even an archangel who doesn’t fight in Hell on a regular basis is still a force to be reckoned with. As they discussed, it doesn’t take long to polish an archangel’s skills. “Will you help me make a nice dinner?”

“A reason to invite Michael and the others over when you can tell him your plans?” Dean hops up and holds out his hand. “What do you want to make? And who are we inviting? Gabe and Michael, obviously, and so that means Lucifer too. What about Anna and Aviva?”

“Just Michael, Lucifer, and Gabe.” While he doubts that Michael will lash out at him in anger, Sam still doesn’t want too many people to see him get yelled at. That’s part of life, apparently, but it’s still embarrassing. “So do we go with really fancy or casual like it’s a normal night?” Dean’s better with people, so he should have an idea.

“Well, if it was Cas, I’d go with hamburgers, and that’s pretty casual.” He starts thinking through what they have in the fridge to make dinner. “Given that we don’t normally do fancy when inviting people over, I’d avoid it. That’ll scream that something’s different.”

And that’s why he asks Dean. Sam would go fancy to impress, to show that he’s capable, but Dean would keep it simple because he doesn’t want to give it away. He’ll get the hang of this eventually. “So, what are you planning for dinner, and how can I help?” If this is his dinner, he’s not going to make Dean cook the whole thing.

“How about lasagna and mac and cheese?” They have the ingredients for both, and neither is too complicated to make. “It’s hard to be angry after eating lots of gooey, cheesy noodles.”

Sam can manage both of those, and it’s been a while since they did an Italian night. “Sounds good. I’ll send a message to the others so that they know to come. They’re all in Heaven now, right?” Castiel was in the house this morning, and he’s the only one who regularly leave Heaven, so it’s a logical assumption.

“Yep. Michael took Lucifer down a few weeks ago, and they’re still recovering from that.” Michael doesn’t go down to Hell very often, but he’s been going more recently since the change in Wrath. Now that he’s more confident that things aren’t going to explode all over the angels, he’s spending less time down in Hell.

“Good.” Sam starts pulling out the ingredients per the recipes that Dean puts up on a cabinet door with a wave of his hand. “How are your lessons going?”

Dean sighs, not really happy with his lessons. “They’re going well. Some things are easier now that I have wings,” the magic Sam created for him seven years ago well and truly attached to him now, “but I’m still not the best team player.” That and it’s a little hard to care about the lessons when he knows he’s just going to work with Cas once he graduates. 

That’s not something Sam can help with. He can give his brother wings, but he can’t change his personality. Well, he might be able to, but it wouldn’t be worth it because he’d be changing more than just his ability to be a team player. “What about being in a leadership role? Do you do better when you’re leading a group of people instead of following with others?”

“They won’t let me lead yet,” Dean complains while watching the pot to make sure the lasagna noodles don’t move around too much and risk breaking and tearing. “I’m not old enough, I don’t have enough experience, and I’m not an angel. But I can’t just do what I’m told. There’s always something that I could do better, and instinct takes over.” Probably wouldn’t be a great leader either. 

Sam could see that. Dean really isn’t the best at following the rules. Even as a young kid, Dean did what he wanted to get what he needed, like go to Hell all on his own. “Can’t you just fake it for awhile? Listen to what they say and do just that. I’m sure you and Castiel could work out something to be a reward for every time you make it.”

When he puts it that way… Dean goes to Hell when Cas is working down there every other weekend. None of his soldiers mind, but Dean’s teachers don’t like it. Why they think they should have a say, he doesn’t know, but he and Cas are trying to keep them happy, not rock the boat too much.

“Maybe he’ll let me visit him every weekend.” Four years after mating, and they still need to spend a lot of time together. No one really knows how long the average bonding period tends to be, but there are plenty of whispers that he’s milking it because he thinks he’s special.

If he was milking it, Cas would be at home with him, not working down in Hell.

“Michael would approve that,” Sam tells him while stirring the cheese sauce. Have to focus on making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn. “If it will help you learn better without causing any serious issues, I don’t see why he’d say no.”

“I’ll ask him tonight then,” Dean decides, “if that’s okay with you.”

Sam bumps his shoulder against his brother’s before setting the cheese sauce aside until the noodles finish their precook. “Of course.” Why wouldn’t he let his brother ask for something? Both of them can ask something on the same night. And it’ll be a nice distraction if Dean goes first, should help put Michael in a good mood.

After mixing the noodles and the sauce, he pours it into the pan and gets it into the oven. He checks the recipe one last time to make sure that he has the temperature and timing correct then sets the oven. Now he has to send the invites.

In his free time, Sam has been researching animation magic. In the library are two ceramic doves that he charmed to fly around the library for hours. This time, he weaves the spell so that one will fly to Gabe and the other to Michael and Lucifer. With little notes tied to their feet, he sends them off to invite his family to dinner.

Back upstairs, Sam finds Dean in the kitchen pressed up against the cabinets by Castiel. They’re murmuring back and forth to each other, words that bring a soft smile to his brother’s face. He really doesn’t understand that. Spending time with Gabe is fun, and he enjoys being praised, but he ends up beaming, not softly smiling.

He just doesn’t get it.

He does know that this is something special and private, so he heads out to the front room to see if the book he’s been missing is out there. Sam doesn’t always read in the library, and his books can end up everywhere. If he can’t find it soon enough, he’s got a locator spell he can use.

The book rests on the side table, but Gabe sitting on the sofa steals his attention. “You got here sooner than I expected.” The birds may fly, but they’re not that fast. He wasn’t expecting anyone until the food is ready. Maybe he put a little too much power into the spell. Sam makes a mental note to check into the spell to make sure it does what he expects it to next time.

“I was coming over and met my dove on my way here.” Gabriel pulls the ceramic dove out of his pocket, charmed by the sweet trinket. “Are you inviting Mikey and Lucy as well?”

Sam swallows hard and nods his head, moving to sit on the sofa next to Gabriel. “Yes. Dean said that we should go with a simple, family dinner so that it doesn’t look like anything out of the ordinary, just looks like another dinner.”

Gabriel pulls the boy into his side for a hug, wanting to soothe away his nerves. He presses a kiss to his forehead, hoping the gestures is as soothing for Sam as it is for him. “It’ll be fine. Michael might be a little irritated at first, but he should understand. It’s not like he hasn’t gone against his family before.”

Apparently that wasn’t the right thing to say because Sam stiffens up under his arm. “I don’t want to go against my family. I just want to help people.”

Well, shit. Gabriel shifts so that he can face Sam, make sure that their eyes meet. “That came out wrong. Michael knows what he wants. He went for Lucifer even when people didn’t approve. He continued to fight even when it meant going against his mate. And he brought Lucifer home when it was time.

“Michael does what he needs to do to make things work. He should be able to understand you having the same drive.” Gabriel cups Sam’s face, watching his eyes to make sure that he hears him, that he understands that he hasn’t done anything wrong.

“You wouldn’t have let me go to the Council if it was a horrible idea, would you.” Sam realizes as Gabe helps him feel better about this evening.

“No, I wouldn’t. You simply went to the authority figure most likely to give you what you were looking for. It’s not underhand; it’s strategic.” Gabriel leans in to pull him closer for a better hug. Sam rests his head on his shoulder, relaxing further. “Just take a deep breath, and everything will be fine.”

Sam wishes he could be as confident about this as Dean and Gabe are, but if he has their support, then it can’t go too badly. Castiel supports him as well, so he really should stop stressing. If only it was as easy as just thinking about it.

The two sit on the sofa, hugging, just waiting for dinner to be ready. There’s nothing left to say, and Sam realizes that the quiet is relaxing. This explains why Dean likes to sit with Castiel so often, even if he’s just sitting there while Castiel does paperwork or something. Still doesn’t explain the soft way he smiles at sweet nothings.

When the doorbell rings, it shatters the peace and brings back all of the nerves. Sam jumps up to go answer the door, leaving Gabe on the sofa. He takes a deep breath to try and calm his heart rate before opening the door.

“Sammy!” Lucifer scoops the boy up to spin him around in a big hug. He’s a little big for this now, reaching Lucifer's shoulders, but he doesn’t care. It’s too fun ruffling his feathers, metaphorically speaking. “That little dove you sent was so cute.”

Sam waits to be set down before frowning up at Lucifer. “Thank you. Although next time, a normal hug will do just fine.” He likes Lucifer, but sometimes he’s just a little too much.

“But where’s the fun in that?” Lucifer smirks while moving inside to see Gabe on the sofa. “Hey, little brother.”

Michael shakes his head at his mate while entering the house himself. “I’d apologize for him, but he’s just going to do it again.” He looks down at Sam, noticing the tightness in his smile. Did Lucifer’s actions really bother him that much?

“Of course he will.” Sam shakes his head at the crazy angel now bothering Gabe. “There’s no stopping him.” He shuts the door and follows Michael to the living room. “I haven’t heard any timers, so I don’t think dinner’s ready quite yet. I’d check the kitchen, but I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

“Speaking of no stopping.” Michael remembers the early days with Lucifer, but he doesn’t remember them being quite so intense as they are for Castiel and Dean. Maybe it was different for them because he and Lucifer grew up together and lived together before they mated. Or maybe they’ve been mated their whole lives. Who knows? All he does know is that they somehow need a little more time together than they already have.

“At least they’re happy,” Lucifer says while heading for the kitchen. He isn’t going to do anything, just wants to check the timer. Fortunately for everyone involved, the timers go off before he gets there. “Dinner’s ready soon.”

Sam pushes him out of the way to get the food out of the oven, not surprised to see that Dean and Castiel are long gone. Knowing them, they’re in the bedroom doing something together, probably cuddling in the nest in Dean’s room. The black and silver feathers go well together, and Sam’s glad that the feathers in Dean’s wings shed. It’s a small thing that makes him so happy.

As he sets the table with a few waves of his hands, the angels take a seat, and Sam really hopes that he won’t have to go fetch his brother and his mate. Dean must smell the food though because they appear right in time for them to start cutting into the food.

Let the dinner begin.


	12. Chapter 12

“Please?” Dean flutters his lashes at Michael while asking permission to visit Castiel more often in Hell. If only that worked for everyone. There is no way Sam could pull that off. “It won’t hurt anything. He’ll still be able to do his work. He gets days off just like everyone else in Hell.”

As angels, they don’t exactly have a forty hour work week the way humans do. That still doesn’t mean that they have to work every day. Everyone needs a break once and awhile, and breaks become especially important when they’re down in Hell.

Fluttered lashes aren’t going to sway his opinion one way or the other, but Michael understands where Dean is coming from. “Yes, you can visit him more often in Hell. But!” He holds a hand, cutting off Dean’s celebration. “If I hear that you’re a distraction or causing problems, then you go back to every other weekend, maybe.”

Dean nods rapidly, agreeing to the qualifier. “I’ll make sure to behave whenever I’m around others.” He can’t promise that he’ll behave all of the time because that would make sex a lot less interesting.

Michael notices the way he phrases that and smirks because he knows exactly what he’s referring to. “Just don’t give anyone any reasons to complain to me, and we’ll be good.”

Dean nods again, leaning over to rest on Cas a little. He can’t wait to spend more time with him even if he has to go to Hell. Totally worth it.

“And you, Sam? Are you planning on training to fight in Hell like Dean?” Michael takes another bite of the mac and cheese. He’s never been one for cooking, doesn’t need to eat as long as there is Heavenly energy for him, but if all food tasted this good, he’d eat more often. “Or are you going to continue with research alone?”

“Actually.” Sam clears his throat while straightening up in his chair. No time like the present. “I wanted to let you know that I’m starting to work on the shelters. I received approval from the Council to act and for funding, so I’ve moved ahead and purchased a facility. The next step is to interview and approve staff.”

Michael freezes before putting his fork down, staring at Sam while folding his hands in front of him. “I thought you were waiting until we determined that the situation in Hell was completely settled for security reasons.” Of all people to go against a decision, Sam was the last person he expected.

“The shelter will have plenty of security. Gabe will be there, and I know that he’s been training to brush up on his skills.” Sam smiles his thanks at Gabe knowing that he couldn’t have moved forward early without him. “And I’ll have other angels in the shelter for security purposes only, not to mention the spells that will lace the shelter. Security will be taken care of.”

When he sets his mind to something, Sam knows what he’s doing, how to put it all together. “Gabriel? Do you agree that he has done enough to handle security for the shelter?” Gabriel might be mated to Sam, but that doesn’t mean he’ll lie for him, especially not if his safety is a risk.

“Yes, he has. Sam isn’t going to risk the success of the shelter because of insufficient security.” Gabriel reaches under the table and squeezes Sam’s hand. “I wouldn’t have agreed to present this to the Council if I didn’t think it’d be successful or safe.”

Michael really doesn’t like this, feeling like his own family doesn’t trust him enough to discuss a decision. If Sam had come to him with a proposal with proper security measures, he would have at least considered it. There’s no guarantee that he would have agreed to change his decision, but he would have listened to Sam and debated it back and forth.

At least this explains why Sam has smelled of nerves the entire night. He’s been afraid of Michael’s reaction to his decision to go to the Council. “Well, if you have sufficient plans for security, then I’m glad to hear that you are able to move forward with your plans. Angels have been doing the same thing over and over for millenia when dealing with demons. I hope that your plans will change things.”

“Really?” That’s it? Sam was expecting much more of a reaction from Michael. If this is the only reaction he’s going to get, then he’s going to feel a little stupid for being so nervous about talking to Michael. He scrambles to gather his thoughts, move past the shock. “That’s the goal. There will always be demons and humans who fall prey to Hell, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to reduce those numbers.”

Although, if they run out of victims, then who will the demons prey on? Only angels? At least angels are prepared to fight back against the demons. That’s something they can figure out later. 

And to be fair, Sam feels a lot less bad about demons preying on demons than demons preying on humans. There’s no such thing as a perfect world, so he’ll just focus on helping as many people as he can.

“Then I’m glad that you found a way to move forward with your goal earlier than expected,” Michael tells the boy, meaning it. In the grand scheme of things, six years really isn’t that much of a difference. Things in Hell do seem to have calmed down, so he’s not worried about an all out attack on Sam’s shelter.

Although that would be a way to learn more about what’s going on. Bait can be useful.

“So, what’s the next step?” Lucifer asks, taking another bite of the heavenly mac and cheese. They really need to have dinner with Sam and Dean cooking more often. “And when can we visit you?”

“The next step is hiring,” Sam says before going into all of the different positions that he wants to fill in the shelter. Job training, mental health, physical training, language skills, and more. The angels all nod along with him, and they ask pertinent questions every once and awhile which prove that they’re listening, not just hearing him talk.

Lucifer comes back from getting seconds and sits himself in Michael’s lap. His mate huffs at him but doesn’t push him away. “Do you have people in mind for those positions? Because if you don’t, I might be able to come up with some people for you to talk to. There are plenty of angels who would prefer to help you over fighting in Hell.”

“I’ve been working with Gabe to come up with some names,” Sam tells them, “but I’ll take all of the names you have. Just because you think these angels will want to work with us doesn’t mean they’ll actually agree to work with us.”

“We should talk to people like Sigal,” Dean announces, drawing everyone’s attention for the first time since Sam started talking. “Since she’s not quite as high ranking, angels might be more comfortable talking to her or around her than Cas and you guys. She might know who’s complaining about being in Hell and might want to work with Sam.”

Castiel has considered that recently too. He’s had some issues getting people to maintain their focus while in Hell, and while people won’t always tell their commanders their issues, they have to complain to someone. “I’ll ask Sigal to come visit you one day. And you’re planning to talk to Anna about medical staff, correct?”

“Definitely,” Gabriel says since Sam has a mouthful of food. “We’ve also considered asking Aviva to join us in the shelter. She’s definitely competent, and her youth will make her appear less threatening than the older angels.”

“Which means you’ll be keeping quiet about your status?” Michael steals Lucifer’s fork so that he can feed his mate. If he’s going to have a lapful of him, he might as well take advantage of it. “Archangels aren’t exactly demons’ favorite type of angel.”

“I’ll keep quiet,” Gabriel agrees, looking over at Sam. “I was actually hoping to ask Sam to help create a charm to dampen my magical aura while on Earth. They’ll know I’m an angel, and I’ll have full access to my magic, but I’ll feel like a guardian angel.”

Sam stares at Gabe. It would have been nice to know that a while ago. He knows that there are spells to dampen the magic signature given off by a being, but to go from archangel to guardian angel? “I’ll do my best.”

“Which means you’ll figure it out,” Lucifer says before accepting another bite of food from Michael. He loves his mate so much, and he loves being pampered like this. “And we can help you if you need it.”

Stiffening up a little, Sam shakes his head at Lucifer. It might not be the easiest task ever, but Sam does not need help with research. And if he needs more energy to perform the spell, he can use a ley line. Which reminds him, he needs to do research into the ley lines and how to use them. “I can figure it out.”

Huh. Lucifer narrows his eyes a little at the young demon. While he might be the son of Greed, that was a distinctly prideful reaction. Then again, Sam is his research and his project at the moment, so that might have been an unintentional slight on his behalf. “Of course you can. I was simply offering assistance if you wanted to work with someone else.”

Sam tries to relax, feeling a little bad for reacting like that. “Thank you, but I prefer to do my own research. I want to make sure that anything I do, I fully understand the magic behind it to reduce the chance of error.”

Lucifer nods his agreement, accepting the apology in Sam’s words. Done with it, he settles back into Michael’s chest to let him keep feeding him mac and cheese. So fucking good. He really needs to invite himself over for dinner more often.

“Will you two begin interviews tomorrow?” Castiel looks between his brothers and Sam and wonders if perhaps he should have spent a little more time convincing Sam to leave the library. Maybe he would have benefited from a little more socializing. It might make him more relaxed with family, have him less on edge over small things. “What position will you start with?”

“With the guards,” Sam decides, “although we won’t necessarily start tomorrow.” “If we can’t actually defend the shelter against people who might attack, there’s no point in moving forward. So, guards then teachers, and we’ll work on building up the warehouse once we have the staff.”

Michael has to admit that he’s rather impressed with how well Sam has planned all of this out. “If you have any issues with people, let me know. While they don’t have to agree to work with you, they should still be polite. If anyone is rude simply because you are a demon, let me know.”

He’s not stupid. Plenty of angels are not happy that there are two demons currently living in Heaven. While Castiel, Sam, and Dean have put plenty of wards around their house, Michael has several of his own as well set out even further, and he’s had to educate more than a few angels on the stupidity of trying to attack his family.

Sam has been picking names based on people who won’t refuse to work with him just because he’s a demon. Then again, not everyone is completely open in their hatred. He doesn’t want to complain to Michael though, so it’s not likely that he’ll say anything to Michael. He and Gabriel can handle anything that comes up.

“I appreciate that, but hopefully it won’t come to that.” Sam smiles before getting up to clear his plate along with Gabe’s before coming back for everyone else’s. He didn’t plan for a dessert and starts to panic a little because they need to have something to finish dinner even if Lucifer looked like he’d be okay with just mac and cheese all night.

Gabriel walks up behind Sam while he does the dishes, the scent of nerves just a little thicker in the air than before. “If you want dessert, we can keep it simple. Chocolate chip cookies always go over well, and I mastered that spell years ago.”

Irritated that he didn’t think of dessert, Sam nods because he doesn't really have any other options at the moment. “Thank you.” Next time, he’ll do a better job of planning dinner. He’s been a little preoccupied with the shelter, but that’s not really an excuse, just a reason.

“Of course. That’s what partners are for,” Gabriel tells the boy, trying to help him relax into the idea of accepting help. It’s going to be interesting, watching him learn to work with others, and he wants to help make that as smooth as possible. “We support each other because no one can do everything.”

Sam takes a deep breath, finishing the last plate before turning around to hug Gabe. He hates asking for help, something he realized awhile ago, but he has to learn. He can’t run the shelter by himself or even with just Gabe. Apparently Dean isn’t the only one who needs to learn how to be a team player. “Thank you.”

Gabriel presses a kiss to the top of his head, breathing in his scent, appreciating the drop in nerves. After a long moment, he ask, “Chocolate chip or chocolate chocolate chip?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That wasn't so bad now, was it?


	13. Chapter 13

Lucifer pulls Michael into the house by the front of his shirt so that he can keep kissing his mate even as they close the door behind them. But seconds after the door shuts, there’s a knock on the door. He moans and drops his head onto Michael’s shoulder. “I just wanna fuck my mate. Who the Hell is knocking at this hour?”

“Our brother.” Michael’s not quite as aroused as his mate, so he can sense who’s on the other side of the door. “He won’t be here for long, I’m sure.”

“Well, he can deal with me being me then.” Family is family, and Lucifer doesn’t see the point in hiding it. He heads for the living room, dropping his tunic as he goes. If Gabe can’t handle a little nudity, he should come by during the day instead of at night.

Michael opens the door to smile at his brother. “What do you need?”

“Advice.” His brothers might not be the best people to ask, but they’re one of two sets of mates that he knows, and Castiel doesn’t have the experience he’s looking for. “I need help wooing my mate, and I’m hoping you have some advice.”

This is not going to be a quick visit, and he really hopes that Lucifer behaves himself. “Come on it. I apologize for my mate in advance. He’s a little needy at the moment.” It happens every once and awhile, about every century, that Lucifer becomes extra handsy and needy, and it looks like that time’s coming up. It’s a really nice way to take some time to just be mates for a moment, not worry about being Commanders and in charge for that time.

“It’s not like it’ll be the first time I’ve seen it,” Gabriel reminds him as they head into the living room, stepping over the discarded tunic on the floor.

“As long as you don’t touch it,” Lucifer growls, placing his wing strategically over his crotch. He doesn’t mind a little exhibitionism, but it’s a little weird in front of family.

“I have no interest in touching Michael or you, I promise.” Gabriel makes a point of sitting in the armchair as far away from the sofa where Michael and Lucifer lounge as possible. “I just want some advice for wooing and courting Sam.”

“You should go old school.” Lucifer finds himself a little more interested in the conversation than he expected to be but still cuddling up to Michael. “Look into all of the traditional mating rituals that angels used to do when they married.” And keep touching him, hugging and kissing him, not that Gabe needs to hear that. 

Gabriel considers it, but that doesn’t really appeal. “I might be old enough for that, but Sam’s young. It seems more fitting to do more modern things given the current time period.” Besides, the old rituals are more about showing that you can provide for your potential spouse, and he and Sam don’t need that.

“Sam would appreciate that you did research,” Michael counters, reaching out to stroke Lucifer’s wings. It’ll keep him on the edge without making him cum in front of Gabriel. “Besides, Sam isn’t like most kids his age. He’s older than he seems.”

“And it’s not like he cares about modern angelic courting habits.” Michael’s fingers through his feathers are going to kill him, but Lucifer doesn’t comment on it because he likes it. “It’ll give you a chance to show you don’t mind research, and it’ll help guide you. They were supposed to be a way to indicate that you respect your mate, and I think Sam would like that.”

When they put it that way, it makes a little more sense. Dean needed support, someone who would support him while he did what he wanted but someone who could also pull him back. Cassie doesn’t control Dean at all, whatsoever, but Dean needs someone strong who can guide him when necessary.

Sam needs a partner, someone to give advice and debate with but will never be over him. Someone who can accept that he’s his own person and does things his own way. If Lucifer’s right, that the old rituals are about showing respect for a potential mate, then perhaps that’s the way to move forward.

“Do you know if they move slowly or quickly? Sam needs time to adjust to the idea of a relationship,” Gabriel really doesn’t want to push him too fast, “and then he has to determine if he wants a relationship.”

“He needs to learn to socialize and get out of the library.” Lucifer doesn't have much of a filter, and it’s even worse when he’s horny. “He’ll be fine with it once he has a chance to get used to it. Your support of his shelter should indicate that you care for him.”

“Unless he thinks I’m doing it just to support family,” Gabriel counters, admitting one of his big fears at the moment. Yes, he wants to help Sam because he thinks it’s an amazing idea, but he also wants to help Sam to see the happiness on his face when he makes it.

“Sam may be somewhat oblivious,” Michael counters, “but he’s not entirely ridiculous. Look at it this way, the old rituals will give him something to look into as well. You let him look into it, and that gives him time to think. It’s a way to declare your intentions without shoving it in his face.”

He really doesn’t know, and Gabriel has a feeling that he really doesn’t know because he’s too worried about pushing Sam away, ruining his chances in the future. “I’ll look into it. Thanks for the advice.” Gabriel stands and gives his brothers a quick bow. “Enjoy the rest of the evening.” Based on the way Lucifer’s squirming in Michael’s lap, he needs to leave now if he doesn’t want to see way more of his brothers than he ever needed to see.

“Night.” Michael would say more, but he’s got Lucifer’s hand up his tunic, and he needs privacy, now. Gabriel waves at them like he knows and lets himself out of the house. “You are going to get us in trouble one of these days.”

Lucifer snorts, rolling them around so that he’s sitting on Michael’s lap, looking down at his mate lying on the sofa. “Please. No one will look at us once they realize what we’re up to. They’ll all be too afraid.”

“That doesn’t mean we should do whatever we want. Power doesn’t mean we can do whatever.” Michael doesn’t have any issues behaving in public, but sometimes it’s a struggle to keep his mate under control and well behaved.

“But I’m Lucifer,” he reminds his mate, leaning in to nibble on his neck. “I’m supposed to misbehave, everyone knows that.” He’s the angel that created demons and the Sins. Why would anyone expect him to behave?

“You don’t have to limit yourself to what people expect from you.” Michael gives him a soft kiss, slightly out of place with his mate grinding down on his lap, leaving precum behind with every movement. “You can be better than that.”

He has a point, but… “Tonight, I want to be as naughty as people expect of me.”

Michael lets his mate kiss him anywhere and everywhere he wants. His tunic ends up in shreds on the floor as Lucifer does whatever he needs to get to Michael’s skin as fast as possible.

“Need me, love me,” he mutters before nuzzling at Michael’s stomach, licking across his abs before moving lower to lick a stripe up Michael’s cock. If Michael wasn’t hard before, he’s hard now. With Lucifer’s mouth on his cock, there’s no other option.

Lucifer does his best to make Michael cum as fast as possible. He can cum more than once every night, and Lucifer needs to see him cum, now.

He focuses on Michael’s cock to keep himself from getting distracted. The skin there feels so soft against his cheek, and Lucifer nuzzles it until he can’t ignore the precum beading up at the tip any longer. He cleans up the mess with little kitten licks until Michael squirms and moans below him, hips twitching and rolling all over the place.

“Fuck, Luci, what are you trying to do to me, drive me crazy?” Michael’s hips roll again, smearing precum all along Lucifer’s cheek. He’s close, almost, to having enough of Michael’s scent on him.

“Wanted to smell like you.” It’s a rare need, but when it hits, it hits hard. Satisfied for the moment, Lucifer shifts to swallow Michael’s cock down to the back of his throat. He smirks as best he can at the strangled gasp from his mate before settling in to make him cum.

Lucifer bobs his head up and down, twirling his tongue around the head when he comes up and humming in his throat when he reaches the bottom. His throat and jaw won’t hurt because he can’t wear himself out doing this, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to make it go faster.

With his free hand, Lucifer reaches up to fondles his balls, and Michael grabs onto the sofa to ground himself so he doesn’t choke his mate on his cock. His mouth is hot and tight, and he hums at just the right moment, the vibrations killing him. And with the hand on his balls, the scent of Lucifer’s need in the air, he’s undone.

Shouting out loud, one hand landing in Lucifer’s hair, Michael shoots cum down his mate’s throat, slumping down into the sofa as he comes down. Lucifer pulls back to lick his lips, looking up at Michael while resting his head on his thigh.

“Get some of the need out of your system?” Michael asks, playing with his mate’s hair. Lucifer licks up the last of the cum around his mouth while nodding. “What do you want next? Want me to fuck you into the floor? Want to fuck  _ me  _ into the floor?”

Both sound really good, and Lucifer can’t decide which one he likes better. “Both?”

Michael laughs because really, he should have known. “Well, you get to go first,” he tells his mate, rolling out from under him to give a big stretch to highlight his ass. “I’m a little tapped out.”

Lucifer watches his mate get down on his hands and knees, arching his chest into the floor to really emphasize his ass. Mesmerized, he crawls off the sofa to nuzzle his balls before licking up his crack, getting a cry in response.

He’s going to take his mate apart, remind him exactly who he belongs to.

Lapping at the tightly furled muscle, Lucifer grips Michael’s cheeks to pull them apart and give himself even more space. Michael’s noises prove that he’s doing a good job as he licks and sucks until the muscles start to give, and then Lucifer starts to lick inside.

Amazingly soft, Michael presses tight around his tongue even as the muscles loosen enough to let him in. Lucifer lets his saliva build up, making his mate dripping wet so that he can fuck him well. He’s going to pound him into the floor until he can’t think of anything but Lucifer's cock in his ass.

“So fucking wet for me,” Lucifer growls, replacing his tongue with two fingers to make sure that his mate really is ready. “Dripping like a desperate slut for my cock.” Michael moans at the words and then again when Lucifer finds his prostate. “Gonna fuck you so good.”

“Really?” Michael circles his hips, trying to get another push on his prostate. “Because all I’m getting right now is words. Gonna put your dick where your mouth is?”

Lucifer grins at the pun because yes he will, literally. Straightening up, keeping Michael’s cheeks pulled apart, Lucifer slams into his ass, balls deep with one thrust. Hot tightness strangles his cock, and he has to bite his tongue to keep from yelling out, wanting to hear all the little noises that Michael makes instead.

Because they’re beautiful noises. Little whimpers every time Lucifer passes over his prostate again. Moans when he fondles his balls, rolling them between his fingers and tugging gently to add another sensation for his mate to deal with. It all makes Michael twist and moan and clench down on his cock, vice tight.

He’s going to make his mate cum first, he swears. Michael knows he has a fight on his hands because Lucifer is driving him nuts, arousal building fast and high in his blood. The hand not on his balls starts roaming all over his body until it settles to tweak his nipples. It’s so much, nipples, ass, balls, but Michael isn’t going to cum twice before his mate cums once.

“Fucking me so good,” Michael praises him, knowing that dirty talk can easily push him over the edge. “Such a thick cock in my ass, touching all the right spots, filling me so good.” He clenches down, making it hard for Lucifer to pull out. His mate drops his head down on his back, slumping down so that they’re touching back to chest.

“Know how to love me just right.” Michael starts pushing back into the thrusts, making them twice as hard as when just Lucifer was thrusting. Damn, he needs to cum, and needs his mate to cum with him. He wants it hard, wants Lucifer’s fingers to dig into his hips, wants to feel it in the morning.

Lucifer isn’t the only one who has needs.

Michael focuses on telling Lucifer everything he’s making him feel, when his hands are on his hips, when they’re on his nipples, when they’re on his balls. He’s slowly losing his mind as he hears just how good he is for his mate, and then Michael clenches his ass down on Lucifer’s cock, and he loses it.

“Fuck!” Nuzzling into Michael’s neck, Lucifer bites down on his shoulder, marking him yet another way. Michael lets out his own shout, body shaking as he cums, spilling all over the floor. Lucifer cums right behind him, filling up his mate to the brim.

Worn out, Michael’s arms give out, and he collapses onto the floor, pulling Lucifer with him. The mates curl up around each other, bodies still connected at the groin. Lucifer’s wings appear to wrap around them, keeping them warm.

“We need to do that more often,” Michael decides, small aftershocks making him shiver and shake every few moments.

“You telling me that our sex life isn’t good enough?” Lucifer pulls Michael closer to him, needing him extra close after a needy orgasm like that.

“I’m saying that sometimes, seeing overwhelming need is nicer than serious want.” Michael rolls in Lucifer’s arms, wincing at the drag of his cock leaving his ass, so he can kiss his mate on the nose. “I know you want me, but needing me is awesome too.”

Lucifer hums in agreement and starts wondering how much free time Sam will have in the near future. Maybe he can just direct him to the right section of the library so he can look into mates. Who knows, maybe they can make this need happen more often.

“Love needing you,” he promises Michael, kissing him on his nose. “But I need sleep now.” Driving Michael crazy is exhausting.

Michael wiggles around to try and get loose, but Lucifer’s arms are too tight around him. “I am not sleeping on the floor, babe. Either you let me up, or we’re going to have a problem.”

A problem being a knee in his balls if he’s not quick enough. Post sex Michael can get really needy and sensitive. Needing to protect himself, and not wanting to sleep on the floor either, Lucifer scoops his mate up in a bridal hold to carry him back to their room. He drops him with a plop to bounce on the mattress in retaliation for the threat against his balls. Michael just flips him off and cuddles up to a pillow. Lucifer spoons him from behind, wrapping them in his wings once again so they can sleep in comfort.


	14. Chapter 14

Sam shuffles his wings together, nervous again. It makes no sense, the Council has already approved the shelter, but still. If they gave him permission, they can always take it away. Hopefully he doesn't have to check in with them too often. 

At least Gabe’s here with him. 

“It’ll be fine,” Gabriel tells the boy, trying to help him calm down before they go before the Council. He can only think of one time the Council revoked funding, and that’s because the planners lied and were using the funds for Earthly hookers, not helping angels on Earth. Sam isn’t lying, so he has nothing to worry about. 

He doesn’t say that out loud though, just rubs a hand up and down his back between his wings. Gabriel considers stroking his tail, wondering if the shock will snap Sam out of it enough to get rid of the nerves for the Council. Then again, he really doesn’t need something else in his head to bother him. 

So Gabriel just stands there in silent support of Sam as they wait for the Council to call them in. Given that it’s a check up, not a full proposal, he wouldn’t be surprised to find out that only a few members are there, but they’ll see. Maybe fewer angels will help Sam relax. 

Now he’s working himself up, nervous about how nervous Sam is and how he might react to different things. Gabriel smirks and shakes his head at himself, trying to get out of his head. Sam looks at him with a curious look, and Gabriel feels the need to explain. 

“Nerves are rubbing off,” Gabe explains with a little shrug. He doesn’t look too upset about it, but Sam feels kinda bad about it. “Just nervous for you. I doubt anything will go wrong, you’re already come far enough with the Council, but I’m just overthinking things.”

Sam takes a deep breath, trying to calm because if Gabe’s nervous, he probably has reason to be. “What do you mean come far enough?” That sounds good, but he needs to know what that means before he can really relax. 

“You got your funding and approval,” Gabe explains, “and once you get that, you’re pretty much good to go. Unless your plans fell completely apart and nothing was done, the Council has no reason to pull your funding. Now, you have a space for the shelter, someone on Earth to assist with things you don’t know about, and you have a plan and support for hiring. They have no reason to say no to you.”

That sounds really, really good to Sam. Hearing from someone else that he has everything set up and ready to go makes him feel better about it than when he just thinks that. “In that case, I refuse to think that it won’t go well.” He straightens his back and faces the doors, ready for whatever might come his way.

Gabriel smiles at his determination as the doors open to reveal the Council’s room. Sam doesn’t waver, stepping forward as soon as an angel ushers him inside. Following behind him, Gabriel isn’t surprised to see only two seraphim sitting on their thrones, Simcha and Gabor. They showed the most interest in the shelter earlier, so they’re the logical choice for a check in. 

“Council members.” Sam bows deep as a sign of respect before raising his eyes to meet those of the seraphim. 

“Samuel.” Simcha smiles at him, hoping to calm him a little. She can smell the nerves in the air, and he really has nothing to worry about. “How have things been with your shelter plan?”

He smiles at her again and explains the warehouse he’s bought, the human witch he’s working with, and the support he has for hiring staff members. It all sounds fine, definitely nothing worth cutting his funds, but she’s not entirely sure about the witch. There’s a large difference between trusting her to make a magical tattoo and working with angels on a shelter. 

“And you trust the witch?” Gabor narrows his eyes at Samuel, willing to be the pushy, questioning one and leaving Simcha as the kind, smiling one. “How do you know she won’t betray you? And what will you do if she does?”

Sam winces because he really doesn’t like this part of things, and he gestures Gabe forward since he’ll be the one handling that. He really, really hopes that Paloma continues to work with them because he really doesn’t want to mess with her brain. 

“I know how to handle memory removal,” Gabriel assures the Council members, “and I can also handle repelling spells to keep her away from the shelter in the future, if necessary.” While Sam might not like this, and he doesn’t want to do this, he’ll do whatever’s necessary to keep Sam and the shelter safe. 

Gabor nods, trusting the archangel. While there are plenty of angels who mess with a human’s memories without any moral issues, he appreciates that Gabriel will do so even over his preference not to. That level of dedication is what the project needs and shows Gabor what he wants to see for the shelter. 

He might not have high hopes for its chances of success, but that doesn’t mean Gabor doesn’t want him to succeed. 

“Thank you for the update.” Simcha’s glad to see that he has a plan and that it’s actually working according to plan. Well, at least it is so far. She’s interested to see how the hiring process goes, but she’ll wait a few years, let him settle into it. No need to add pointless pressure to the boy. “I’ll be glad to see your progress moving forward.”

Sam blinks a few times, surprised because that sounds like the end of the conversation, and he was expecting to have to go a little more in depth about things. “Thank you. I’d love to see you visit the shelter when you have a chance.” It’d be even better if he got some warning before she visited, but he’ll manage even without it. 

Simcha nods at him, making a mental note to visit in five years or so. That’s long enough to iron out the majority of the wrinkles without being long enough that she’ll forget to visit. “I appreciate the offer.”

He really can’t say no to her, not with her rank and the fact that she’s funding his project. “Of course. And please, let everyone else know that they’re welcome as well. I only ask that if you are coming as a large group you give us a little warning so we can prepare the residents for the visit.” 

Gabor would prefer a surprise visit to see what the day to day operations look like, but he understands. When dealing with survivors of trauma, you have to be careful, and he can respect that. “We’ll make note of that.” He’s done with the conversation now, ready to go back to his cooking work since everyone knew that they’d let him keep working on the project. 

“Thank you.” Sam bows again, and the seraphim are walking out when he looks up again. Once they’re out of sight, he turns to Gabe and whispers, “That’s it? They didn’t really ask that much.”

Gabriel laughs at Sam and puts an arm around his shoulders to lead the boy out. “Like I said, you’re working on things and the plan is working, so you had nothing to worry about. And in five years, when they come to visit, unless there are no residents, you’ll still be fine.”

Sam smiles at the idea of knowing that he’s completely set and not having any more worries. He knows it’ll never happen, he’ll always worry, but it’s a nice dream to have. “Then we’ll have to make sure that we’re ready for residents.” 

He keeps moving forward with a little bounce in his step, and Gabriel smiles at the sign of optimism. Things are moving forward, and he has faith that it’ll all work out. Sam has a plan, and he has plenty of support, and there will be no end of survivors to offer a space in the shelter. Next step, hiring staff members. 

Before they work on that though, Sam heads to Earth to talk ley lines with Paloma and have a few lessons. Gabe has to come with him of course since he’s a demon going to Earth, but he has plans to explore the city, so it’ll be just him and Paloma for the lessons. 

He hasn’t really learned from someone other than Dean before, so he isn’t really sure how this is going to go. Sam is more or less entirely self taught with his magic, and he doesn’t really want to have to learn from someone else. The power in ley lines is more than a little intimidating, and he could cause serious problems with a small error, so it’s not worth it to go at it on his own. 

Paloma eyes Sam, pretty sure she knows what’s going through his head. She’s seen new learners before, and either they learn fast that they need to listen and take feedback and then they go far, or they refuse to take it, and they barely learn anything. Something tells her Sam will learn to take feedback, but she’s not sure how long it’ll take him to admit and accept that. 

“So, where do we start?” Sam asks, settling in to get comfortable on the floor. Jeans aren’t the best for sitting cross legged, but he can manage. 

“With the elements and touching the ley lines.” Paloma tucks her legs to the side,her skirt preventing her from crossing them. “If you can’t touch the ley lines and control the power coming through to you, then you can’t do any spells. Given what happened last time you worked with the lines, I think we’ll work with water, not fire.” 

She smiles at the grimace on Sam’s face as she reaches out to touch the line, letting air whip around her, pushing her hair around her face. “It’s all about controlling the volume of power so you get what you need without way too much. “

Paloma puts her hand out so that they have skin to skin contact. “Try to follow along with me as I find and connect with the line.”

This must be instinctual for her by now, but Sam struggles to follow along. He touched the line himself, but doing it with someone isn’t as easy. Then again, Paloma’s trying to connect with it in a controlled manner unlike his wild grasping for the power of the ley line. 

“Did you see how I did that?” Sam looks up at the question, startled because he didn’t realize that she was done. 

“No, I didn’t.” Frustrated, Sam’s free hand clenches because this should be easy enough for him to grasp. It’s not a spell, so it should be simple. If he can control angelic and demonic magic, why can’t he do this?

Paloma puts her hand over his fist, trying to make him relax his fingers. “You’re used to instinctual magic, you touch it and it’s there exactly how you need it. The ley lines are bigger than you, are elemental in themselves, so you can’t expect it to feel exactly the same as the magic you’ve been using.”

That makes a little sense to him, but it’s also really frustrating too. Sam wants this to be easier, to be as effortless as his prior magic has been, but clearly it’s going to take a little longer than he hoped. “But you can teach me, right? You can show me how to do this?”

She nods, glad to see that Sam recognizes that he has to listen to her if he’s going to master this. “I can teach you this, and you have more than enough skill to master this, but you have to listen to me and work with me.”

Sam nods, understanding that for once, he isn’t the smartest one in the room. He’s not sure he likes it. “Just be patient with me, please.”

“Of course.” Paloma sits back, focusing on keeping their hands together. “Ready to try again?” When he nods, she reaches for the ley line once again to show him how to control the flow of power. He can learn this, she’s sure, she just has to show him how to do it. 

Baby steps. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more Paloma for you. I like her so far, so I figured I'd give her a little more page space to see if I still like her. She'll be in the next chapter even more, so tell me if you like her as much as I do. Thanks!


	15. Chapter 15

Finally. Sam releases the ley line, flopping back on the floor catch his breath, totally wrung out. How does Paloma deal with that on a regular basis? There’s so much power in the ley lines, he’s surprised that she hasn’t burnt herself out yet. 

“Because I’m human.” Sam rolls his head to look at her realizing that he was thinking out loud. “While humans can use magic, we aren’t inherently magical. Demons are inherently magical. The way the old tomes tell it, you were created by magic. It feels like the ley lines want to merge with you, wants to greet you almost, which is why you feel so much more power.” 

Sam thinks through that, and he can see the logic. Like attracts like in magic, the reason demonic spells are easier for him even if he can do angelic magic, and so power liking power makes sense. And that also explains why he can’t do things the way Paloma does. 

“You reach for the power, and you pull exactly what you want. But I have to push away the excess power while still pulling through the small amount that I’m looking for.” He sits up, the epiphany giving him a little more energy. “There’s an extra step for me which is why it's not working as smoothly as it does for you.”

Paloma shakes her head, slightly embarrassed that she didn’t recognize that phenomena earlier. As they touched the line together, she should have noticed that. “I’m sorry it took so long for us to figure that out. We might have saved some time today if we put two and two together sooner.” 

It’s frustrating, it really is, but Sam scheduled a few days for training, and getting pissed off about it won’t change anything. “If we’re so tired we’re missing things we feel are obvious, we should take a break. I can make us lunch.”

That’s a nice offer, but Paloma’s never been a fan of magic-generated food since it never seems to fill her up the same way as real food. “Do you use a kitchen or just wave your hand?”

It’s a little more involved than waving his hand, but point taken. “I started learning with magic, but Dean prefers to actually do the work, so I’ve gotten better at the actual process of cooking. Castiel would grocery shop for us so we had actual food. I’ve manifested food a few times, but the majority of the time, we eat real food.”

Since not all angels can create food, Heaven has to produce food, and a long time ago it was decided that the angels would grow food. Sure, the dirt and the water and the nutrients are magically created, even the seeds are, but then the food is grown, and the taste reflects the dedication to actually growing food. No one knows why it works that way, but it does, so they don’t question it. 

“Then we can cook together,” Paloma announces, stretching out her legs and back with a groan as she stands. Her body does not like being on the floor, motionless for that long anymore. Certain potions help with that, but she forgot them this morning. “We’ll make feijoada, the old recipe my avó gave my mother and me.”

Sam has no idea what that is, but if it’s a family recipe, then it’s probably pretty good. Plenty of books have referenced the sentiment, that food made by the same family recipe for generations always tastes better, and now he has a chance to test that. It’ll be a shoddy experiment since he’s never had anyone’s feijoada before and he’s already pretty sure sentiment affects the opinion, but he’ll give it a try. 

“Your avó wrote the recipe?” Sam asks once he settles in to start chopping vegetables as Paloma starts working on the ham. “What does avó mean?”

“My avó is my mother’s mother,” Paloma explains, pausing as she remembers her family members. “They were killed by a vampire several years ago, and this helps me feel closer to them.” Once she has children, she’ll use the stew to keep their ancestors in their minds so that no one is forgotten. 

Ah, a grandmother. Sam wonders what it’s like to have that type of family bond and connection. He has family ties, but he’ll know all of them because they’re all so long lived. “What’s it like, knowing that you’re going to meet people and have feelings for them but one or the other will have to watch someone die?”

Paloma shrugs, shifting over to the ham hocks. “It’s a part of life. I knew that they would die before me, even if I didn’t expect it to happen like that, and a part of me made peace with that a long time ago. When you’re human, you learn to live with it because you have to.” She pauses so she doesn’t cut her fingers. “Will you never lose anyone?”

Sam pushes the vegetables into the pot. “Not exactly. Angels can’t die, but they can be killed. And if they take the proper precautions, even death isn’t permanent. So while I can lose people, it’s not very likely that it’ll happen.”

Although to be fair, if he lost Dean, Sam isn’t quite sure what he’d do. Or if he lost Gabe. He’d probably go crazy trying to get revenge and finding a way to bring him back. As soon as he has a chance, a break dealing with the shelter once things are running smoother, he’ll have to look into spells for reincarnation or rebirth or whatever so that he won’t lose either one of them forever if something happens. 

“How do you handle that?” Sam looks over at her, curious even though it’s a slightly morbid topic. She started it, right? 

“It’s a part of life,” Paloma repeats, not sure how to explain it. “It hurts at first, but you slowly learn to live with it. Humans think of it as a cliche, but time can heal all wounds. You just have to be patient. Not everyone handles loss well, and it takes a different amount of time for everyone to reach the phase when they can accept that they just need to give things time.”

He is very, very grateful that the people he lives with will not just die of old age or sickness. “Humans must be pretty strong if they can handle that.” If something were to happen to Michael, Sam’s not sure Heaven would survive, but Earth continues no matter how many are lost. 

Paloma nods at him. “Something like that.” They finish preparing the stew in companionable silence, then Sam shows her a nifty spell to speed up the stewing process so they can eat ten minutes later. 

“Doesn’t take away the sting of losing family though,” Paloma says later once her bowl is empty, still stuck on their prior conversation. “Things like this help though, recipes and stories and hobbies passed down from those family members keep them alive through memories.”

Sam can fully understand that. In a way, any time he flies, he thinks of Gabe, remembering his flying lessons. When he cooks, he thinks of Dean and how much he has improved since shredding his finger. “At least you have something to hold on to. This is really good, by the way.” He wishes they had made some bread so he could use it to clean up his bowl. 

“Thanks. My avó would be happy to hear that.” Paloma considered adding onto her store at one point, making the dishes her avó made and selling them that others can enjoy her recipes, but it didn’t seem worth the effort. She’ll have children to share the recipes with eventually, and that’ll be enough. 

They finish eating up without talking, doing the dishes the same way. Once the kitchen is ready for the next meal, they seat themselves on the floor of her workroom again. “Are you ready for this?” Paloma looks at Sam, hoping for an honest answer, not that she’s really sure what that’ll be. 

Sam takes a deep breath trying to remember about their little breakthrough just before they took a break to eat. “I need to connect with the line and let in power while pushing away the majority of it. Just enough to create a pool of water in my hands.” 

Paloma nods. “Do you want to connect with the line on your own or with me?”

His ego says on his own, but he’s really not sure, but... “Let me try it on my own, and depending on the outcome, we’ll figure out what to do the second time based on what happens on the first time.”

She really hopes they don’t get too much water in her place, but at least the place is waterproof. Well, water resistant at a minimum, and she can replace everything in here. Water’s better than fire. “Alright. Have at it.”

Sam takes another deep breath for focus then reaches out to the line. He can feel the power just out of his grasp, like there’s a thin layer between him and the power. Focusing on wanting just a little power, Sam presses through the barrier and lets the power wash over him. He tells the line he wants just a little, just enough for a cup of water, then he weaves the spell to create the water. 

A huge wave of water snaps his focus, pulling him out of the line, breaking his connection to the power just in time. Sam sputters while working an angelic spells to evaporate the water while keeping the temperature down so they don’t boil. He looks up at Paloma and has to stifle a laugh because she looks pretty funny soaked through. 

“Sorry.” Sam smiles at her with a little shrug, and she smiles back him. 

“Didn’t go as planned, huh?” Paloma stands up and starts wringing out her dress and hair. “Well, we’ll keep trying until you get it. You have the abilities, you just have to learn the skills.” 

“Alright. Any tips?” Sam really doesn’t want to keep flooding the pace over and over. 

“There are two parts of this for you. One, you push away the majority of the line’s power. Two, you siphon off the small amount of power you need.” She pauses until Sam nods in agreement. “I think we should change the first step. When you merge with the line, let the power flow through you. Let the line do as it pleases. Then, once the rush of the initial connection passes, then you can try to pull the power you want and perform the spell.”

While that makes sense to him, Sam can’t quite get past the idea that she makes the line sound sentient. Perhaps they used to be, a part of a planet that used to be more alive than it currently is. Well, it’s worth a shot, so Sam nods his agreement to give it a shot. 

Another deep breath to focus himself, and Sam reaches out to the ley line. This time, he just connects to it, feeling the power rush over him. It’s a heady idea, the number of things he could do with this much power, but he really tries not to focus on that. Sam doesn’t need to tempt fate or his demonic nature. 

As Sam sits through the power rushing over him, he notices eventually that the power levels have steadied. Instead of rushing around him, they’re just there, they just are. Perhaps that’s what Paloma was talking about, letting the line settle with him. Just as he starts to prepare a spell, something pulls him out of the line. 

Sam blinks as he returns to the room, mentally speaking, surprised at how dark it is. “Paloma? What happened?”

She takes his face, waving a hand to light candles for illumination. “You sat there motionless for hours, and I was starting to worry. What happened?”

He explains it to her, the way he connected and the power dying down adding, “but I had no idea it took hours for that to happen.”

“Then we’ll continue with your next lesson now that we know where to start.” Paloma stands, stretching again making a mental note to use those potions. “Are you staying for dinner, or are you heading home for that?”

While another meal with Paloma sounds nice, home has Gabe and Dean and the others. “I’m heading home now, but perhaps next time.”

Paloma waves him off while watching him leave. She’ll have left over feijoada for dinner and light a candle for her avó and mother. Perhaps a visit to the cemetery tomorrow too. Time might heal all wounds, but it can take a lot of time. All part of being human. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. I'm struggling with some personal demons right now that make writing a little difficult. Hopefully for my sake things even out sooner rather than later, and I'll start posting evenly when that happens. 
> 
> Anyway, back to Hell and the adventures of Sigal and Enoch.

The angels stand shoulder to shoulder, not as still as they should be, nerves taking over. Feet shuffle, swords get checked, wings rustle. Sigal waits for quiet to fall because if they’re going to be stealthy, they need to be quiet. Magic helps with that, but nothing beats just being quieter.

Once situated, she activates the spell Commander Castiel gave her before he returned to Heaven. It in turn activates the portal so they can reach the section of Hell they’ve been tasked with mapping. The dozen angels step through the portal and into a new portion of Hell.

Enoch makes sure to stand near the back because although Sigal has to be last through as the leader of their unit, that doesn’t mean he can’t do his best to have her back. Sometimes that means being just in front of her. From what scouts have told them, this area of Hell is empty of demons, the perfect time to map it, but that could just be the set up to an ambush.

Sigal nods at Enoch and walks through the portal just after them. Of all the people to have next to her, he’s one of the first people she’d choose. He knows how to make decisions when necessary but can also carry out orders flawlessly.

The mapping goes over fairly smoothly. All they have to do is walk through the corridors with the proper amulets on their belts, and the maps literally draw themselves. Four corridors meet their eyes, so they break into smaller groups of three before setting their timekeepers in unison and heading off.

The smell of sulfur winds around them as they move, constant and unavoidable. They trade positions, trading point every thousand meters or so. Sigal doubts that anything will happen, but there’s also a reason that new fighters aren’t sent on mapping expeditions. Honestly, they’re her least favorite tasks, always on high alert, but no real release because they aren’t supposed to meet any demons.

At least the chance of injury is low. She hopes that the Commander is enjoying his time off with Dean. Honestly, she’s surprised he isn’t up in Heaven more often, or that Dean hasn’t found more chances to sneak down into Hell so that they can spend more time together. No one knows too much about mates except the fact that they need a lot of time together.

She shakes her head, pushing the stray thoughts aside. Easy task or not, she needs to focus because easy could become deadly in a heartbeat. Enoch catches the moment, frowning at her, but she waves him off.

He can’t sense anything, and Sigal seems fine, so Enoch relaxes a little as he takes point from her. He checks their timekeeper and sees that it’s been nearly half an hour even though it feels like just a few moments. Time passes differently down here.

They get through the entire space they have to map out and back to the portal with no issues. Enoch is about to take a deep breath, smile and relax, when a demon stumbles onto their party. Swords come up in reaction, drawing blood from the demon that collapses to its knees, hands in the air.

“Please, take me with you!”

Sigal stares at the demon that just said the last thing she ever expected a demon to tell an angel. “Take you where?” she asks while gesturing for the other angels to take a step back. “Talk.”

“Out of here. To wherever you’re staying in Hell. Anywhere that isn’t here.” Chrissy keeps her head down, not wanting to anger the angels, not wanting to set them off. They’re her only way out of here, and she’ll take torture over the shit she’s been dealing with here. Technically, death is an out, but she’d like to stay alive.

“Why?” Sigal has Enoch move around the demon, standing behind it with his sword ready just in case. “Why does a demon want to be with angels in Hell?”

She laughs because while it’s as ridiculous as it sounds, it’s really the best move for her. “Because it’s a shit show down here. Power doesn’t transfer easily from Wrath to Wrath, and I want out, now.”

A Wrath demon? She really wasn’t that into taking a random demon. If they’re going to take the time to torture, she wants to know they’re going to get something out of it. Then again, Commander Castiel and Commander Michael have been pretty interested in the new setup in Wrath, so…

“Fine.” With a snap of her fingers, two angels lower their swords and move forward to tie up the demon. There are a few aborted struggles, but they weren’t that intense, feeling more like instinct than intent. “Bring it.”

Enoch watches as Sigal goes first, followed by half of their party, then the demon, the rest of the angels after it. He brings up the rear, making sure that another demon or more aren’t planning on popping out to cause problems.

The angels relax when the portal closes behind them with no more demons appearing. Most of the angels peel off to wind down as Sigal and Enoch take the demon to the cells. They don’t say anything, not wanting to let the demon hear anything.

Adniel looks up from his book, the cells quiet for the moment and letting him take a break. “Lieutenant Sigal! What can I do for you?” He doesn’t bother hiding the book because there’s no way she missed it earlier.

“We need a secluded cell free, off in the back, where this demon can’t communicate with anyone.” Spells line the cells to reduce communication between prisoners, but they’re not perfect, and nothing beats distance. “What do you have free?”

Thinking through the cells, Adniel realizes that they’re going to have to do some reshuffling. The perfect cell for this one is currently occupied by an asshole of a demon that likes to cause problems just for the fun of it. He’d love to clip the asshole’s wings, but he doesn’t have authorization for that.

“If I could get a little help, this would go a little faster.” He looks at Enoch who nods in agreement while moving forward to help. “Watch your face. The bugger likes to go for the eyes.”

Enoch winces while bracing himself for dealing with the demon. He’s still wearing the amulets with protection spells that he wore for the mapping expedition, so he’s not too worried, but he keeps his sense up. Relaxing around a demon is just asking for trouble.

Sure enough, the demon launches himself at Enoch’s face, fingers curled into claws as soon as the door opens. Prepared, Enoch drops to his knees and punches the demon in the balls. There’s a strangled sound above him, and then the demon hits the floor. Fucker.

Adniel watches the whole thing, over in just seconds. He should add that to his routine when dealing with prisoners because it’s clearly very effective. “We’re moving him to the cell four doors down. It’s not that far away, but it’s enough.”

Enoch doesn’t question the guard, not used to the cells since he hasn’t worked in them for several centuries. He’s a much better soldier than guard, and his assignment was altered accordingly. “Let’s do this.” The sooner they get this over with, the better.

The two angels manhandle the now whimpering demon into his new cell, shutting the door behind him. Adniel locks the door and activates the spells that help dampen the noises from inside the cell as well as the demon’s magic. This really would be an easier job with a few warriors on hand, but he gets a lot of downtime, so he can’t really complain.

Sigal watches them maneuver then frog marches the new prisoner into the now empty cell. She feels some slight struggling just before she pushes the demon to the back of the cell but no outright fighting. “We’ll come back for you when we’re ready.”

The demon nods before sitting on the bench, tail wrapping around its waist, apparently content to sit and wait. Fucking bizarre.

Adniel locks the cell door and activates the spells and watches the two warriors leave the cells. He remembers those days, when the only time they thought about the cells was when they had a prisoner to torture. He’ll see them when they’re back. They always come back.

Enoch starts down the left corridor towards his room only to have a hand on his arm stop him in place. He looks up to see Sigal smiling at him. “I was heading to the cafeteria for a snack, and we need to figure out what to do with that demon. Want to join me?”

Join Sigal? He’d be stupid to say no. “Of course.” They walk in companionable silence to the cafeteria only to wrinkle their noses when they get there. “Cooking staff is transitioning right now, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Sigal looks at the spread of sandwich fixings with a sigh before giving a little shrug. “At least we just have to pile things on the bread. Could be worse.” She’s hopeless in the kitchen, so Sigal’s grateful they don’t actually have to cook anything. She prefers the wam sandwiches they normally have though.

“At least there’s that.” Hell actually runs a little cool, the opposite of what humans expect, but that’s what you get with caves. Warm meals really are the way to go, but at least the meat is warm.

They build giant sandwiches, worn out from the tension of being always on guard while mapping. Eventually Enoch has shoved enough food in his face that he can sit back and relax. “So, what do we do with the demon?” He doesn’t really want to torture it, a little tired of torturing to be honest, but they need information.

Sigal hesitates, putting down the half of her sandwich that still remains. “I don’t know. We need to start by scanning the demon, making sure that it’s just a demon, no magic that’ll bite us in the ass. And then, we talk to it?”

“And by talk to it, you mean talk, right, not torture?” Given that the demon wasn’t captured, that it turned itself in, torture seems like it’ll be counter productive. “Should we get Commander Castiel down here, to check for accuracy of everything the demon says?”

She takes another bite, thinking it over. “Normally, I’d say yes, but he and Dean need time together as mates, so I think we should leave him out of this. We can tell him whatever we learn.”

Enoch sees her point, but he’s still not entirely sure about that. “Maybe we can get a few others to sit in with us. Or a truth seeking amulet. Commander Michael has been worried about the chaos and change in Wrath, and that’s a Wrath demon.”

Sigal smiles at him while shaking her head. “Point to you. We’ll send them a message tomorrow, let them in on this. Whatever it is, I just hope it doesn’t spill over into Sin wars.”

He winces at the idea. Enoch wasn’t a warrior when the last Sin on Sin war happened, taking a moment to see if perhaps he could be a healer. While he might not have been fighting, he still saw the results of the war. “But who would fight Wrath? He’s too new to be much of a threat and has two other Sins keeping him under control.”

“Unless Greed and Envy have plans for him to attack someone for their own benefit.” Sigal thinks it through and has to admit that it doesn’t make much sense. “He can’t attack those two, Lust isn’t really involved in things but has a lot of power, Gluttony could consume him with ease at the moment, Sloth isn’t worth the power, and Pride is too powerful. At least we know Sin on Sin war doesn’t make sense.”

“Unless he’s too stupid to realize it,” Enoch counters, “and he pushes out to try and show his power as the youngest Sin.” Fuck this speculating. They could go in so many directions with this, and it’s all pointless. “Let’s just wait and talk to the demon.”

Sigal nods, reaching over to take Enoch’s hand. He’s such good backup, an ear whenever she needs to talk, a sword whenever her life is in danger. She’ll have to figure out when his next break in service happens because she’d be open to spending some of that time with him, if he wants her around.

“Let’s wait. Tomorrow, we’ll get Commander Michael down here, and we’ll figure it out then. It can’t be that complicated, can it?”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Michael and Lucifer now. I like to bounce between POVs, but if it becomes confusing, please let me know so that I can try to fix it. I'll still change POV, but I want to make sure it can be followed. Thanks!

“Mikey!” Lucifer waves the note that he really, really wants to open but doesn’t want to get smacked upside the head. “You’ve got mail!”

He finds his mate in the office, working his way through several stacks of paper that look like way too much work for Lucifer. Thank the Father that he’s not the one with serious power because with great power comes great stacks of paperwork.

“And you had to yell about it, couldn’t just bring it in?” Michael hates doing this, an inventory of angels, in essence, making sure that people coming up on a break are planning for it, that those coming up on the end of their breaks are aware of that. At least it only happens once every two hundred years or so.

Lucifer pouts and drops down in his mate’s lap, Michael having pushed his chair back from the desk as soon as he saw his mate. Smart man. “But that’s no fun.”

“I know you don’t work as regularly as I do,” Michael reminds his mate, taking the letter from his hand, “but sometimes there’s work I really, really need to do.” Needy Lucifer can be fun, but there’s a time and place for everything, and right now, Michael has to work. 

And now Lucifer feels bad. Michael isn’t mad, just sounds resigned, and that’s almost worse. He really needs to pay a little more attention to his work schedule, but it’s really hard sometimes when the things he does vary from century to century. “Sorry. Is there anything I can help with? I  _ can  _ work even if I don’t want to very often.”

And that’s just one of the many reasons that Michael loves his mate. As soon as he realizes that he’s pushed it just a little too far, he does his best to backtrack to help make up for it. “I have a lot of angels to go through, and I could always use another set of hands. But let’s read the letter first.”

It’s short and simple, Sigal asking him to come down to Hell for an interrogation of a demon, no torture involved. The demon gave itself up, so they’re going a little easy on the demon, at least to start. Given his current focus on the changes in Hell because of the new Wrath, he appreciates the notice and chance to get raw intelligence.

“Do you want me to stay behind?” Lucifer asks, shifting to sit more comfortably and to see the note better. He likes Sigal, would appreciate a chance to talk to her again, but work is work, and he’s not sure he wants to go to Hell again so soon after his last trip.

“It’s up to you, babe.” Michael is plenty used to working on his own, something he got used to while Lucifer was running Hell. That being said, there are times that having Lucifer’s experience with Hell comes in very handy. “You might have some insight for us, to analyze what we learn, but that doesn’t mean you have to be there with us while we get the data.”

Lucifer considers it for a moment before shaking his head. It’s too close to the last time he jumped Michael, really needed him, and he doesn’t want to trigger a longer period of need. Spending too much time in Hell does that to him, like their bond sees time in Hell as a threat to their relationship and therefore wants to keep him out of Hell. 

“I’ll wait until you’re back home. If you really need it, you can bring Sigal and whoever else back for a short visit to go over things with me.”

For a moment, Michael feels like he’s dealing with a junkie. Lucifer can’t spend too much time in Hell because they’re all worried he might relapse, might want to stay in Hell again. But Michael can live with those restrictions because he has his mate again, and that’s the most important thing.

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll work with Sigal and come back to you with all of the information that we gather.” Michael kisses his mate on the top of his head, breathing in the scent and the lack of sulfur in it.

His mate nods, accepting the plan. “Stay safe. I don’t care what they said about the demon giving itself up, you need to be cautious.”

“Always.” Michael kisses Lucifer again before standing them both up, keeping Lucifer close. “What do you want to do while I’m gone? Do you want to try working through the stuff related to the plans, or are you going to chill?” They said that he could come down tomorrow, but Michael wants to get this over with sooner rather than later so he can be with Lucifer.

Lucifer isn’t sure, wants to help Michael but also wants to pace and worry and not work. “I know how to do what you’re doing,” he learns things even while not working, “so I’ll figure it out. Probably going to be a mix of the two.”

Michael nods, really hoping that Lucifer doesn’t spend the whole time he’s away worrying. While that’s exactly what he’d be doing if their roles were reversed, that doesn’t mean he wants Lucifer to go through that. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He gives Lucifer one last kiss before heading out to visit Hell.

Left alone, he paces the room for a bit before sitting at the desk to start working. Lucifer needs something to distract him because he really, really doesn’t want Michael in Hell right now. He hates this so much, this weird feeling that makes him unsettled anytime he isn’t near Michael, whenever Hell comes up in conversation. It sucks, and it’s been worse ever since Cassie found Dean and they’re spending so much time focused directly on Hell. 

They’ve always just lived with it, the random fits of neediness, horniness, and worry, but maybe Sam could give him some tips on places to look so that he can get more info on this. Odds are, it’s a mates thing because he doesn’t know anyone else who has this issue, and Sam researched the Hell out of mates because of Dean, so he should know where to look.

Sam is busy with his shelter plans though, working on interviewing angels to staff the shelter. Lucifer heads for their library, built up over millennia of exploring and life. It’s massive, and he heads to the oldest books on the shelves. Lore on mates has faded with time, so that’s the best place to start.

He can figure this out.

\----------

Down in Hell, Michael takes a moment to adjust to the scent of sulfur before moving through the corridors to find Sigal. It’s too late to start anything today, she needs a break after a mapping expedition, but Michael wants some time to survey the demon on his own.

In the dungeon, he nods at Adniel who’s been the keeper of the cells longer than any other angel before him. Keepers don’t generally last too long, mostly warriors out for medical reasons but not so injured they return to Heaven, and they can't wait to leave the cells. Adniel’s just a little different.

The demons in the cells look up as he passes, but none of them see the angel in their midst. His magic is far too strong for that, and he has found a way to manipulate Hell’s magic, just a little, after so much time with his mate. Even if he triggers a demon’s senses, it won’t know why, so it’s as close to unknown observing as he can get.

Chrissy looks up out the cell door, instincts telling her that something is watching her even if she can’t see it. She pushes away from the bench to stand at the door, trying to get a better look. There’s still nothing there, but she starts talking anyway.

“I’m not a spy,” Chrissy announces, picking at the peeling paint on the bars. Stupid angels. They really should know by now that paint doesn’t last in Hell. “Shit is fucked in Wrath right now, and I want out. Yes, even a angel’s cell is better than Wrath right now.

“I just want to be a demon.” She laughs a little because that probably isn’t going to win her any awards. “I want to let my anger take over and hack at a few Pride demons, go up to Earth and push a few humans into overreacting. All this infighting is so damn stupid.”

Michael doesn’t really know what to say, so it’s a good thing that he’s not in a situation that requires quick reactions. It sounds honest, just wanting to be a demon, but demons are very, very good at lying, so he doesn’t trust her yet. Having seen enough, Michael leaves the cells, waving at Adniel on the way out, glad he doesn’t have that job.

He later finds Sigal and Enoch sitting in the kitchen playing cards, and he slides into the chair next to Sigal. “Have you talked to the demon much, or did you just bring her back?”

“Just brought her back,” Enoch says since Sigal’s busy picking her next card. “We needed a break after the expedition, and we’re trying to determine the best way to go about this.”

“Whether we go tried and true with torture, or if we just talk to her like a person?” Michael is all good with torture, very accustomed to it by now, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing he does.

“I think we try talking,” Sigal says, putting her cards down to focus on the conversation. “Let her keep her wings, let her feel comfortable around us. Any insight we can get on Wrath right now will be useful. The demons attacking us just tell us that they’re going to kill us, that Wrath will rain down on us, and that’s not useful.”

“But what do we do with her when we’re done?” Enoch’s been puzzling over that ever since she turned herself in. “If she’s useful and turned herself over to us, killing her will prevent others from coming to us.” Not that he expects others, but one never knows.

“And releasing her to wreak havoc on Hell and Earth isn’t a good look for us either.” Michael sits back, crossing his arms, trying to come up with something. Maybe Lucifer will have some ideas.

Speaking of Lucifer, Michael wonders how his mate is doing. Sex needy periods are generally followed by general neediness, a desire for closeness. This time wasn’t too intense, but now he’s wondering if maybe he should have spent more time with Lucifer before jumping back into work. Shit.

“Excuse me.” Michael stands up and heads out into the corridor, Sigal and Enoch staring after him.

“Do you think he’s alright?” Enoch really hopes that the archangel is alright, slightly concerned about the worried look that flashed across Commander Michael’s face.

Sigal shrugs, looking over her shoulder to where Commander Michael entered the corridor. “He’s fine. That was a ‘worried about my mate’ look, not a ‘worried about myself’ look.” She’s seen the former on Commander Castiel’s face more often than not recently, so she’s very familiar with it.

“I can't imagine that,” Enoch admits, shaking his head at the idea of being so wrapped up in a person. “While having a mate sounds like a great idea, it seems like a little too much fate and not enough choice for me.”

“We’re angels,” Sigal reminds him with a soft smile, handing him the last bite of her sandwich. She’s not sure why, but instinct tells her that he’ll like it, and sure enough, he takes the bite. “Our whole existence is technically controlled by fate. I know what you mean though; I’d rather choose my mate than have my mate chosen for me.”

Enoch cocks his head at her, confused by what she means, chewing and swallowing so he can talk politely. “Choose your mate? I thought mates were all fated, not something you could choose.” Then again, it’s mates, so who knows?

“I just mean that I’d want to pick the person I spend my life with, or that I spend my break with, not have it chosen for me.” Sigal gives a little shrug, wondering if Enoch has ever considered picking someone to share his break from service with. “I’m not sure I’d do well with a bond that deep, that I wouldn’t feel forced into it.

Not sure how to respond, wondering if maybe this proves that there’s an opening for him to ask to spend time with Sigal, Enoch doesn’t say anything for a moment. Commander Michael returns before he figures out what to say, ending the moment. Enoch refocuses on work, agreeing to the plan to start working on the demon tomorrow.

They head their separate ways, all having rooms in different corridors. Enoch hesitates, almost follows Sigal to talk to her privately again, but he decides to wait. He needs to figure out how to ask her about a relationship, and he’s a millennia old angel. He shouldn’t be so nervous about this!

But relationships are always messy, so he figures his concern is warranted. He’ll sleep on it, figure it out later. He’s got time.


	18. Chapter 18

Chrissy stares at the angel sitting across the desk from her, trying to hide her shock. Of all the angels to interrogate her, the Archangel Michael was the last one she expected. Well, Lucifer would be even less expected, but she doesn’t always think of him as an angel.

They’re just sitting at the table, neither one saying anything. The two angels from yesterday stand behind the archangel’s chair, faces blank, no weapons in sight. She still really doesn’t want to make them mad. Everyone knows that angels can fight just fine without weapons.

“Are you comfortable?” Michael asks, eyes even on the demon. “Did you get breakfast?”

He’s asking her about breakfast? “It was fine.” She keeps it short and simple, trying to figure out what the catch is. “Could have been a little warmer.” Might as well see how he reacts to that.

“We’ll try to make it a little warmer next time.” It’s a small thing to make the demon happier, and if that gets them more information, Michael is more than willing to do it.

There’s got to be a catch, but Chrissy can’t find it, so she stops pushing on it. “Alright. Now what?”

“You said that you wanted out of the part of Hell you were in.” Michael clarified what happened with Sigal and Enoch before confronting the demon. “What made it so bad? What can make Hell so bad that even a demon can’t stand it?”

Chrissy scoffs, leaning back and shaking her head. “Look, just because we’re nastier than you doesn’t mean we don’t have limits too. I like what I do; I like making humans snap. But it’s really not so great when I’m the one receiving the shit.”

She takes a deep breath, trying to come up with the words to explain. “When Abaddon was Wrath, things were great. Sure, we had to deal with angel raids, but that’s part of life. With Paimon as Wrath, things are topsy turvey. There’s no structure, no regularity, nothing.”

“Why not?” Michael’s never been this involved in the change of power of a Sin, mostly because it has only happened a few times. “How does something so far above you affect you so greatly in your day to day activities?”

“Because we’re more dependent on our superiors than angels are,” Chrissy explains with a little shrug. “If Wrath feels insecure, his power is threatened, people aren’t supporting him, we all feel that. Our power is tied to our Sin, and that makes us vulnerable.”

Enoch can’t imagine being that closely tied to his superiors. Everyone could see the confusion and challenges that Commander Castiel felt while meeting Dean and figuring out their relationship. To feel that as well would have been debilitating.

“And what’s so chaotic right now that you need out? What is so topsy turvy that you’re willing to turn yourself into angels to get away from it?” Michael fully believes the fact that demons are as tied to their Sin as the demon says that they are, but he’s not sure he believes that things are that bad.

“Just because Abaddon isn’t Wrath anymore doesn’t mean she isn’t missed.” Chrissy sits back with a little shrug. “Some demons, like myself, don’t really care who is the Sin. As long as I have power and stability, I don’t care who’s in charge.

“But other people really care. There are demons who support Abaddon because she’s Abaddon, not because she was Wrath.” She shifts in her seat, not liking the way the archangel’s eyes sharpen on her. “Paimon has his own supporters who support him regardless of his position as Wrath. Both sides are fighting each other, and it’s creating a subtle chaos among Wrath demons that really sucks.”

Hmm. Michael really needs to go over the creation of demons with Lucifer again. Maybe he can explain why they’re like this, all tied together. Perhaps that’s the only way the magic would work, spreading it from being to being, keeping them all connected.

“How long will the infighting last?” Michael asks, getting down to business.

Chrissy shrugs again. “Depends. If it becomes clear really quickly that Abaddon is never coming back, it might happen soon. If the hope lingers that she’s coming back, it’ll take longer. It all comes down to how long support for Abaddon lasts.”

“What about Envy and Greed?” Although it’s Wrath that has just changed leaders, Mammon and Leviathan are controlling the new Wrath, and that has to have an effect.

She narrows her eyes at the archangel. “What do you mean? We’re Wrath demons, and we’re dealing with the new Wrath and the old Wrath’s supporters.” Chrissy looks at the three angels, trying to catch any looks between them to explain what the Hell he’s talking about.

Apparently Paimon hasn’t told his demons everything about his ascension to power. Michael debates telling her more, not sure of the drawbacks to letting the demon know more. She’s in their control though, so there shouldn’t be many.

“When Abaddon was stripped of power, Greed and Envy played a role in removing her and replacing her with Paimon.” Michael sees the shock cross her face and figures this is completely new to her. “They both control Paimon as much or as little as they want. Even as he starts to build his own power, he will always be under their control.”

“How is that possible?” Chrissy asks, leaning across the table to get as in the archangel's face as possible. “No one can control a Sin, no one. Except maybe Lucifer since he created them, but he’s not coming back, so he doesn’t count.”

“Because a Sin’s power needs time to adapt to a new host,” Michael explains, gesturing for Sigal to continue.

She steps forward to take the demon’s attention. “When Paimon received the Sin’s power, he was still no stronger than he already was, making him vulnerable to full power Sins. Greed and Envy marked Paimon at his weakest, and that mark will be there even at his strongest. And the theory is, their control grows stronger as his power grows stronger.”

“So even though we’re Wrath demons, we could still be controlled by Envy or Greed?” Chrissy really doesn’t like the sound of that. “What does that mean for us? Will our power start to be triggered by greed and envy as well as our wrath?”

Sigal shrugs because they don’t actually know yet, one of the reasons they’ve been so cautious watching over them. “From what we can see, the control over Wrath doesn’t taint the power flowing between Wrath and his demons. You’re still Wrath demons; that hasn’t changed.”

“What has changed is that Greed and Envy can use their control over Wrath to force him to use Wrath’s power where they want it.” Enoch ignores the glare that the demon directs at him. “Things won’t likely change for you much at all, once the Abaddon supporters lose steam.”

“Generally, you aren’t controlled by the head Sin,” Michael reminds her, “which is why you won’t feel it that much. The difference will likely only come if Greed and/or Envy decided to use Wrath’s demons to support an all out attack on another Sin.”

Chrissy shakes her head, slumping down in her chair again. Why the fuck does this all have to be so damn complicated? She just wants to mess with humans and shit on demons from other Sins. “So now what? You just sit back and watch Wrath demons fight until only half of us are left?”

“Hardly,” Michael scoffs. “It won’t go that far. As Paimon’s supporters start to win over Abaddon’s supporters, plenty of her supporters will start supporting Paimon. Demons are very good at self interest.”

Sigal steps up again to add another point. “That and Greed and Envy have put serious energy into Paimon, and they’ve probably put a lot of time into him as well. They won’t let Paimon fail. He’s their stooge, and they really can’t afford to have Abaddon back in control.”

“She’d rip them to shreds.” Enoch smirks at the idea. If the Sins are involved with fighting each other, they can’t spend as much time hurting angels and humans.

“Well that’s fine and dandy for you all, but what about us?” As fine as it all sounds, going about things as usual, Chrissy can’t just go back to it. Now that she knows better, that she knows more, Chrissy can’t go back to the way things were.

Michael stands up and looks down at her. “That’s up to these two. They brought you here, and therefore they determine what happens with you.” He leaves the room, not concerned about what comes next. They discussed what to do with the demon before starting the interrogation.

Enoch takes a seat while Sigal stands behind him to be the silent intimidator. She’s pretty good at that, and Enoch’s glad that he’s not the one doing that because he’s nowhere near as good. “So, what do you want to happen now?”

They’re asking her? Yet another thing that has to have a catch. “I’d like to go to Earth. Aren’t really any angels there, and most of the demons will be weaker than me.” She’d be living cushy life on Earth until she runs low enough on power that she’s reabsorbed into Wrath for another demon to receive her power.

“If we let you do that, there will be some requirements,” Enoch tells her, not surprised at all by the wish. Earth really is the closest thing to Heaven that a demon will ever reach. “You will give up your wings, and you will let us bind your magic.

Chrissy honestly doesn’t know which one is worse. The pain of losing her wings will be brutal, but binding her magic will make her as weak as the weakest demon on Earth, practically a human. “How about just the wings?” She can learn to live without those.

Sigal shakes her head. “No. If we’re only doing one of the two, it’s the magic. We can leave just enough for you to hide your wings from humans.”

Damnit. “And my other options?”

“You can live in our cells until you die.” Enoch has seen demons live in the angels’ cells in Hell for centuries, and many of them don’t have a natural death. Long term prisoners are permitted contact between each other, minimal magic use, time out of the cells, but it really isn’t that much. They might be demons, but the jailers are angels, and they do their best to make it not so brutal.

Even so, many commit suicide. Given that life in prison means millennia in the cells, it’s not that surprising.

Fuck. Rock and a hard place. Chrissy really doesn’t know what to pick, which one will be more tolerable. She needs her magic, but it’ll be bound regardless of where she is, so she might as well choose freedom. “I’ll take the restrictions on Earth then.”

Enoch nods, and Sigal moves around to cuff the demon again. They take her to a cave designed for use when removing wings. Although during torture the process is as brutal as any, the angels have found a way to remove wings with magic. It’s nearly painless, more surgical than brutal, and quick.

It’s quick enough that Chrissy doesn’t even realize it happened until it’s over. She rolls the muscles in her back, trying to prepare for the process when she realizes that her back feels lighter than expected. Spinning around in place, trying to look at her back, she realizes that her wings are already gone.

Her wings are gone. Chrissy has to take a moment to think that through, figure out how she feels about that. While she might not use them on a regular basis, that doesn’t mean she won’t miss them. Chrissy swallows hard, trying not to freak out in front of the angels.

While she’s still trying to process the wings, Chrissy feels something burn into her lower back. Immediately her connection to Hell nearly vanishes, and she knows that her magic has been bound.

At least they let her keep her tail.

Sigal and Enoch take the demon to a portal that will dump the demon on Earth. She’ll be met by an angel who will give her some money and idea of the best places to eat and stay. It’s a shitty transition, but they can’t spend more time with a demon that has already given them everything it can.

“Do you ever wonder if we’re not really doing any good?” Enoch asks, watching her move through the portal. “We just put a demon on Earth, and even with the restrictions on her magic, she’s still a demon.”

Looking at Enoch, Sigal remembers hearing about a shelter that Dean’s brother wants to put together, one that focuses on helping the people who are rescued from Hell. As good as Enoch is as a warrior, perhaps she should get him in touch with Dean’s brother for a new position. “Who knows. We just have to have faith.”

Somehow, that isn’t reassuring at all.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because more than just the main characters deserve a good time.

Michael waits for them in the kitchen, waiting to see what the demon will decide. If she’s smart, she’ll lose her wings and her magic in exchange for freedom on Earth rather than keeping her wings in Hell with the angels. He likes his people, but living in a cell isn’t worth keeping one’s wings.

Even he’d give up his wings if his options were no wings or a cell for eternity.

The two angels enter the kitchen, silent, not saying a word. Michael frowns at them, wondering what exactly has them so down. “Well, what did she pick?”

“She’s on Earth, wingless.” Enoch looks up at Michael, snagging a sandwich off the counter. He takes a bite and chews but puts it back down, not actually hungry.

“And you don’t like that?” Michael understands struggling with the job. Even angels question what they do, and he really thinks it’s for the good. Change is very, very slow in Heaven, but it can still happen.

Enoch sighs, shaking his head with a shrug. “I don’t know. It’s easier than dealing with keeping her forever in the cells. But we just released a demon on Earth. Even without her magic, she’s more than capable of causing plenty of problems for humans.”

He looks up at his commander with a sad smile. “Are we really doing any good here, if we’re just doing the same thing over and over and over again?”

“You need to talk to Sam.” Michael also needs to talk to Sam, advise him that Dean was right, that they should talk to Sigal. She’ll probably know about other angels who feel like Enoch. “Have you heard what he’s planning and working on?”

The angel shakes his head, confused. “No, I haven’t heard any specifics, just that he has plans and permission. What is he doing?”

Michael explains Sam’s project, his goal to make it so that the work the angels do actually makes a difference. “He’s looking for a lot of staff, including guards and self-defense teachers. You should talk to him, see if perhaps there would be room for you on his staff.”

That sounds like a plan, compared to dealing with Hell on a regular basis. “I still have to serve Heaven as a warrior. By the time I’m done serving this time, it will be too late for me join with Sam and his shelter.” So close, but so far away.

“Actually,” Michael smiles, proud of what his nephew has started, “he has requested that working with him qualify as serving Heaven the way traditional roles qualify. Like he advised the Council, you are working for the benefit of Heaven.”

Enoch stares at the archangel because this really sounds too good to be true, and he doesn’t want to get his hopes up. “When is he planning on starting this shelter?” Knowing the way Heaven moves, it will likely be several decades.

“He’s interviewing angels for staff right now.” Michael smiles again at the surprise on Enoch’s face. “And Sigal, he’d like to talk to you as well. Any angels interested in working with the shelter, anyone you might work with who you think will be a good fit, he asks that you give us that angel’s name.”

Sigal bumps shoulders with Enoch, glad to see that there’s another option for him to serve Heaven. All angels have to work because otherwise Heaven would grind to a halt, but that doesn’t mean that all angels find a job that works well for them. “Enoch might know more of them. I’m a warrior, and I like it. People who don’t like being a warrior aren’t likely to tell me.”

As the head of a unit, she has a pretty good idea of who is and isn’t happy with their position. It’s really not that hard, although once they’re in the middle of a fight, everyone fights as hard as they can regardless of whether or not they want to be there. She’ll help Sam all she can, but Enoch will probably be a better resource.

“If I can replace serving as a warrior with helping Sam, then I would love to work with him as soon as it can be arranged.” Enoch has seen too much to believe that one shelter will all of a sudden make a difference, but at least it’s a start.

Michael nods, already planning a stop to see Sam on his way back from Hell. “I will let Sam know and give him details on how to contact you. He’ll be in touch as soon as he can to schedule an interview, I’m sure.”

Enoch’s willing to wait a year or more for this to happen, so he’s not going to hold his breath, but a part of him can’t help but hope it’ll happen sooner rather than later. “I’ll wait to hear from him.”

Now that that’s settled, Sigal tries to steer the conversation back to the demon and the revelation that Wrath demons are kind of tearing themselves apart. She’ll talk to Enoch later about his plans for working with Sam, how he really feels about being a warrior. “So what does this mean for us, the demons fighting themselves?”

“It’s a good thing,” Michael tells her, stealing Enoch’s sandwich because he is hungry. There’s something about Hell that always has him hungry. “If they’re focusing on each other, then they’re less likely to focus on us. As long as it doesn’t go far enough that Greed and Envy have to get their demons involved, we shouldn’t have too many issues from this.”

“Sounds good.” Sigal stretches a little, glad to hear that they can relax just a little from the very high tensions they’ve been under ever since the power changed from demon to demon in Wrath. “We’ll step up the monitoring, see if we can get a read on the fights, but we’ll focus on more outward tasks than expecting something incoming.”

That doesn’t mean that all of a sudden they aren’t going to have defenses anymore, just that they’re going to relax down to a more normal level of protection.

“As long as you make sure that you aren't putting people at risk.” Since he doesn’t live in Hell any longer, doesn’t work from there as often as the others do, Michael trusts her to know what’s best to keep her people safe.

“It’ll be a safe enough decision,” Enoch adds, supporting Sigal’s decision. “Even if we lower our official defenses, everyone here will still keep their own senses high. No one wants to die here in Hell, especially not in territory that we control. We’ll stay alive as long as we can.” Knowing the talents of the angels currently working down here, they’ll stay alive quite a bit longer.

“Good to hear.” Michael stands, bowing to his companions. “Then I will leave you to it, and I will make sure to pass your information along to Sam.”

Enoch nods his thanks and smiles as Michael leaves, heading back to Heaven and his mate. He’s a little jealous, but Sigal is still here, along with his friends, so it’s really not that bad down here.

“So, you’re looking to get out of here?” Sigal pokes Enoch in the side, laughing when he flinches. So much for great reflexes. “I didn’t realize that you disliked us so much.”

“It’s not you,” Enoch tells her, twisting in his seat to pull her into his chest for a hug. If he’s going to leave, then he has to move soon if he wants to have a chance at starting something with her. “It’s that I’ve been doing the same thing forever, and nothing seems to change. I want to try something new.”

Sigal wraps her arm around Enoch’s waist, resting her head on his shoulder. Maybe this could go somewhere after all. “Then you should go for it. I’ll miss you down here, but you should do what’s best for you.”

“I’ll miss the friends I’ve made down here.” Enoch puts an arms around her shoulder, hand resting close to her waist. “I’ll miss you.” He takes a breath for courage. “We’ll have to find a way to meet up and stay in touch.”

Smiling, Sigal nods at the idea. “I’m sure there’s something that we can come up with. Plenty of ways to exchange letters.”

“Plenty,” Enoch agrees, leaning down to press a kiss against her forehead, but Sigal shifts so that their lips meet. It startles Enoch, but when he feels her lips curl up against his, he starts kissing her back.

She gasps as he takes control of the kiss, letting him rule her mouth with his. They grind up against each other, shifting so that their chests rub together, and Sigal moans at the stimulation, nipples furling tight. “We cannot do this in the kitchen.”

Enoch pulls back to rest his forehead against hers, trying to bring his breathing down. “Do what? What exactly are we doing here?”

This is the last conversation that she wants to have while high on endorphins and arousal, but it’s one they need to have. “I was hoping for a little stress release, and then we could figure out the rest of it after that.”

That sounds pretty good to him, so Enoch nods and kisses her again, hands running along her back, tracing where her wings would leave the skin. “I can do that. You’re room or mine?”

“Mine.” Her room is a little more private, the benefit to being a lieutenant. They move through the corridors as quickly as possible, grateful that they don’t run into any other angels along the way.

Inside her room, Enoch pushes Sigal down to the bed, smirking as she bounces slightly off the mattress. “How do you want to do this?” he asks while crawling up over her body. “Quick and dirty or slow and sweet?”

The fact that he asked is enough sweetness for her. “Quick and dirty,” Sigal demands, reaching up to nip at Enoch’s neck, a red mark blossoming on his skin from her teeth. “Show me what you’ve got.”

A challenge? He can definitely rise to the challenge, no pun intended. Enoch pushes her further up the bed while moving down the bed until his face is just above her thighs. The benefit to tunics is easy access to the best parts of an angel. He flips up the skirt of the tunic to just look and appreciate.

All they’ve done is kiss, but he can already see wetness pearling up on her skin. Enoch hesitates for a moment, building up the tension, then leans in to lick it up. Sigal moans, voice falling deep, and a hand lands in his hair, pulling and tugging.

Apparently she likes that.

Enoch settles in, keeping her thighs apart with his shoulders. He nibbles her lips, watching them swell with blood, before lapping up the resulting slickness that leaks out of her. When her hips start to roll, frustration clear in her whimpers, Enoch shifts his focus to her clit.

Flattening his tongue for maximum contact, Enoch licks Sigal over and over. Every time her hips roll up into his face, her fingers tighten in her hair, Enoch’s body tightens up in response. His own hips roll, pushing his erection into the sheets, not providing any relief but better than nothing.

Sigal lets out a shriek when Enoch’s teeth scrape across her clit, fingers tight enough in his hair she wonders if she’s pulling it out. Her whole body is alive just from his tongue licking her dry only for her to get wet all over again. And teeth on her clit?

Her favorite.

“Get up here,” Sigal demands, stretching down a little to pull on his shoulder. Enoch looks up at her, lower face covered in her wetness.

“But you’re still wet.” As if to reinforce the fact, Enoch presses a finger inside her, meeting no resistance worth mentioning. Sigal drops her head back on a moan, but now she really wants more, the thinness of his finger a tease compared to what she really wants.

“If you don’t fuck me now, I will seriously hurt you.” Arousal might be controlling her body, but anger and a workout is a good way to burn that energy off.

Enoch laughs at her but moves up her body to kiss her, and Sigal can taste herself in the kiss. It’s been so long since she’s had a chance to do that, and she pulls him closer to get more of it. Enoch obliges, letting her lick her way into his mouth to keep kissing him.

Sigal knows exactly how to use her mouth, but Enoch pushes past the distraction to push two fingers deep inside, searching for a spot that will make her scream. His fingers twist and turn inside her, getting more and more slick with every movement, but no scream.

Her legs wrap around his waist, heels digging into his ass. “I’m waiting,” she reminds him, lips moving against his before she starts kissing him again.

Enoch pulls his fingers out, smirking at her little whimper, and uses her own slickness to lube his cock. “You asked for it.” He braces himself over her body on one arm using his free hand to line them up before thrusting in.

“Shit!” Sigal digs her fingers into Enoch’s shoulders as he fills her balls deep in one go. There’s a little burn as her body stretches to accommodate him, but it’s more soreness than pain, and it’s not preventing any pleasure.

He drops his head to her shoulder, breathing heavy near her ear. Sigal rubs his back for a moment, trying to relax some of the tenseness she can feel there. “So tight,” he grits out, turning his head to bury his nose in the crease of her neck and shoulder. “Really, really tight.”

She’s never had any complaints. “It feels even better if you’re moving.” Sigal chuckles when she feels his cock jump inside her at the idea.

Enoch nips at her skin before pushing up onto both elbows to look down at her. “We’ll just have to test that.” He leans in to kiss her even as he pulls his hips back to snap them forward to bury himself inside her once again. And yes, it’s still really fucking good, if not better.

“Shit,” they moan in unison before they begin moving their hips against each other. Sigal’s breathing picks up as their movements become more intense, too overwhelmed by the arousal to regulate her breathing.

He’s just the right size, girthy enough to stretch her out and just long enough to reach deep inside without going too far. Sigal loves the friction inside her body, using her feet to dig in and encourage him to keep going that deep. “So, so good.” But it could get better, if only he would touch…

“There!” Even as he keeps thrusting, Enoch reached between them to start pressing his thumb against her clit. “Yes, there, please!”

Enoch watches as her back arches off the bead, mouth falling open on a silent cry. Circling around the bud makes her whole body shudder, so Enoch keeps up the movement while still thrusting away.

The friction is getting to him, bringing him closer to the edge with every thrust. His balls draw up tighter under him, and he knows he’s really close. “You feel so fucking good around me,” Enoch tells her, kissing Sigal while pausing buried deep for a moment. “Tell me it’s working for you too.”

Sigal opens her mouth to answer only to scream when everything adds up perfectly to trigger her orgasm. Friction deep inside and his thumb on her clit are more than enough to push her over the edge, especially after so long without sex. Her body ripples with the orgasm, hips still driving her up into Enoch, heels keeping him deep inside her.

Answer received, Enoch takes a moment to focus on himself, her body even tighter around him. So tight, then relaxed, then so tight again, and it’s the contrast so close together that triggers his own orgasm.

Enoch slumps down on her as his arms give out, smiling as her arms wrap around his neck even as he shivers his way through his own climax. As their bodies calm down, they shift to lie on their sides, eyes meeting. They’ve known each other for centuries, but their relationship has changed, and now they’re shy enough that meeting each other’s eyes is hard.

When the silence becomes too much to take, Sigal starts talking to fill the space. “That felt amazing. I hope we didn’t move too fast, end something before it started.”

He shakes his head to stop that thought before she lets it go too far. “No, no, not at all. Maybe we jumped a little quick,” Enoch admits, reaching out to take her hand, “but I still want to get to know you outside of being a warrior. If I leave, I still want to exchange letters.” He admires her as a warrior, he now knows her as a woman, but he still wants to learn her as an angel.

Sigal relaxes more and more as he keeps talking. Some angels are rather open with their sensuality, but others hold onto old traditions of abstinence. If he was willing to start something in the kitchen, sex likely wouldn’t turn him off, but opinions can change after the heat of the moment.

“Then we’ll have to find a spell that works for us.” There are numerous ways of communicating with others across large distances and ‘through portals’ between Heaven and Hell and Earth. “Personally, I like mirroring journals.” Whatever she writes in her journal, he will see reflected in his, and vice versa. She used one while keeping in touch with her sister a few centuries ago.

Enoch takes her hand to pull her closer into his chest, resting her head against his chest again. “I’ve used them before and am willing to do so again. We’ll just have to figure out who gets what color ink.”

“I want orange,” Sigal announces, waving a hand to clean her body and his. It’s nice not having to get up, especially as he pulls the sheets up over them. Time for a nap, no matter what time it is. “You can have anything else.”

“Black works for me.” Simple, boring for some people, but he likes simple.

Sigal smiles at the answer, not too surprised. Enoch always has been a simple man. Whatever works best for him. “I’ll pick up a set next time I’m in Heaven.” Not sure when that’ll be, but she’ll work to make it happen.

“Whoever’s there first.” If he’s going to speak with Sam, he’ll likely be in Heaven first, but Enoch doesn’t really want to contradict her. She is still his superior, and he’s not entirely sure how to navigate this quite yet.

She nods, cuddling further into his chest. “Nap time now.”

They’ve done their work, and there’s nothing planned for the rest of the day, so Enoch doesn’t argue with the nap. He just settles in to sleep next to her, curious about where this will go but too tired to think about it yet. They can address it after their nap.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam isn't the only one who gets to have a little personal growth. Everyone gets to grow a little bit.

Michael sighs once he’s back in Heaven, grateful to breathe in air that isn’t weighed down by the smell of sulfur. He stretches out his wings before heading inside the house and looking for Lucifer. When he doesn’t find him in the kitchen, living room, or bedroom, Michael starts to worry just a little. Lucifer doesn’t go out too often in Heaven, especially not alone, so where could he be?

After checking all of the obvious places and a few spare bedrooms, Michael finds Lucifer in the library. His mate is smart, but he doesn’t wallow in it the way Sam does. Michael takes a moment to lean against the door frame, admire Lucifer’s body as it curves over the table and the tome resting on it.

“What are you reading?” Lucifer startles at the voice and twists to see Michael lounging in the doorway. “What’s got you so interested?”

He sighs and pushes the book away because it isn’t actually helping him. “I was looking for something to explain why I get like this,” he explains, “why I have these moments where I need you so much.”

Michael doesn’t like the look on Lucifer’s face, like he doesn't like something about himself. “That explains why the book looks so old.” Looks like it could fall apart if breathed upon, more accurately. “Have you found anything?” He crosses the space in the room to sit next to his mate.

Lucifer shakes his head, pushing the book even further away, not looking up to meet Michael’s eyes. “No, I haven’t. There are plenty of mentions of mates needing each other, but there’s no explanation for  _ why _ .” His fist thumps against the table just before his head does.

Michael picks him up to put him in his lap, forcing his head up against his shoulder. “We can look outside of books. Maybe the best source is us.”

“If that was true, we’d already know why I get like this,” Lucifer says, trying to push away from Michael but not getting anywhere. He could have tried harder, but his heart’s not really in it.

He hates being like this, so needy. Sometimes, Lucifer feels like he does nothing productive, just lounges around and gets in the way. Most of the time, it doesn’t really bother him, but recently? Dean saves Sam and seals a deal against Greed, Sam is planning shelters, Michael becomes head of the family, Gabe found a mate, and Anna adopted an angel.

Lucifer just wants sex.

Michael sighs, keeping his arms tight around his mate. “I’ve noticed something,” he admits, trying to figure out how to formulate his thoughts into words. “It happens more often when I’ve been gone for awhile. And I think there might be a solution, although I’m not sure either one of us will like it.”

Not to be melodramatic, but Lucifer’s pretty sure that nothing can be worse than this neediness. “What is it?”

“I think you need to go to Hell more often.” The shock on Lucifer’s face doesn’t come as a surprise at all. “It’s either the distance between us, the fact that I’m not in Heaven, or that your body misses Hell. No matter how much we hate to admit it, Hell is a part of you, and your body does react well to Hell.”

Fuck. Michael is right. As much as the stench of sulfur isn’t a pleasant one, a part of him settles everytime Michael comes back with it still in his feathers. “And if going to Hell on a regular basis is a bad thing?” His fingers clench in Michael’s tunic with nerves. He never ever wants to be the King of Hell again. “And what about how I get needy after being in Hell too?”

Michael braces himself for Lucifer’s reaction. “How would we know? You’ve buried yourself in Heaven ever since you got back, barely doing anything other than lounge around. I love having you around, but maybe it’s time to reenter the world. If we go to hell together, unlike those time you went alone to help Cas, I don’t think it’ll bother you.”

Lucifer pushes away from his mate, betrayal ripping through him. How could Michael say that? He hasn’t been  _ hiding  _ away, nothing like that at all. He’s been recovering, finding a way to make sure he doesn’t fuck up again, and maybe that looks like hiding, but it isn’t.

“Are you serious? Reenter the world? I fucked up the world, Michael, just a reminder in case you somehow forgot that. I can’t just go galavanting around doing whatever I want. I have to be careful, cautious. That’s not hiding.” Fuck Michael for saying that. 

So they’re going with anger. Good, because as much as Michael loves his mate, there are some things he has wanted to say for a long time. “Yes, it is. You fucked up once. Great. You’re not the only one. I’ve fucked up too. But unless you move on, you’ll never move past it.”

“You didn’t enhance the home and nature of our greatest enemies!” Lucifer’s wings flare wide with emotion as his chest starts to heave with increased breathing. “You don’t live with that staining you every day, with everyone judging you for that no matter what you do. You don’t get it!”

“Then make me get it!” Michael yells back, his own wings flaring wide, something shattering in the background. “Or help me get it. But you can’t get rid of that stain or reduce the stain until you start to move past it. Yes, you fucked up, but you can still help to clean up the mess, try to make up for it.”

Lucifer shakes his head, not sure if it’s because he doesn’t believe, he can’t believe, or he won’t believe.

“And not everyone judges you. I understand, mostly. You felt a need to do more, and you couldn’t find that in Heaven, so you went out on your own. While that’s not what I would have done, I know you needed to act.”

Lucifer still shakes. He screwed up, and he can’t be forgiven. What he did was too severe to be forgiven.

“But I don’t judge you. It took some time, but you came back, realized that what you were doing wasn’t good, couldn’t continue. Castiel doesn’t judge much if at all. You gave him info on the demons he could use to fight, and that made up for the majority of the hurt he felt.”

Lucifer hugs himself, sinking to his knees. He always tries to be fun and lighthearted, make people laugh enough that they can’t remember how much they hate him.

“Gabriel doesn’t judge you. He hates the rules of Heaven as much as you did, but because he wasn’t Father’s favorite son, he could get away with more than you could without having to run away. Gabriel understands you better than anyone.”

Lucifer sobs, slumping back against the wall, unable to keep it in any longer. Ever since he got back from Hell, he’s known that everyone hated him, and that people only tolerated him because of his mate. To hear that he was wrong, that he’s been wasting even more time than he had to, makes it hurt even more.

Michael swoops in and picks his mate up, cradling him to his chest. Great ugly sobs rip through his chest as he lets it all out. He can only guess about what his mate feels, but he hopes at least a portion of those tears are for Lucifer himself, for the pain he went through as a younger angel, his loneliness even after he came back from Hell.

He rocks him back and forth, trying to soothe him with the motion as much as possible. Michael can’t remember the last time he saw Lucifer cry like this, especially not after he returned to Heaven. He kicks himself a little for not having this conversation sooner, centuries earlier. Apparently he didn’t make it clear enough to his mate that not everyone hates him.

And those who can’t forgive can just fuck off.

“What about the others?” Lucifer asks once his tears calm a little, hiding his face in Michael’s neck. “You guys might not care, but you’re family. Plenty of others will never accept it or forgive.”

“You don’t need all of them,” Michael tells him while heading to their bedroom. For the rest of the day, they’re going to take it easy, not focus on anything important outside of them and their relationship and his mate’s wellbeing. “I’m the main warrior of Heaven, one of the highest powers after Father and the Council, and there are plenty of people who hate me for reasons other than my power. Anyone can be hated; it’s what you do about it that matters.”

“I just want to feel settled,” Lucifer admits, “like I belong.” He hasn’t felt like that since Michael started pulling away from him in their training. Unlike his brother, he hasn’t always known what he wants to do with his life, and that creates a rift he doesn’t know how to close or bridge.

Sometimes Michael wishes it hadn’t been so easy for him so that he could empathize more with his mate. They’re not just words, just platitudes, when he tries to talk through his feelings, but sometimes they sound empty to him without the weight of experience to guide them. “We can make that happen, I promise. It might not be easy, but it will happen.”

Lucifer agrees that it won’t be easy to do, but he has to have faith in his mate that they can make this work. “How? How do we go about changing people’s centuries’ old opinion of me, one that isn’t necessarily all that wrong?”

“First, we start with you.” Michael places his mate on the bed, pulling up the sheets to tuck him underneath them. “You have to stop expecting people to hate you. If you expect it, that makes it easier to happen. If you start expecting them to like you, or at least tolerate you, then hating you counters your expectation and can be a little harder.”

He tries to imagine someone else’s opinion changing what Naomi would think about them, but Lucifer has to admit that she’s really not the best example of this. He huffs a laugh, falling back into the mound of pillows. “I should go to Sam’s new shelter. Might not have been tortured, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need some help.”

Well, one could argue that Lucifer has been the one torturing himself, but Michael doesn’t want to open that can of worms. “Maybe. I’ll always be here if you want to talk, but if you want someone trained to listen to you, then we’ll find someone.”

Michael drops his tunic to the floor and crawls under the sheets to hug his mate, pulling Lucifer over so that he rests on his chest. Hopefully his heart rate will act as a calming sound as they keep talking. “Whatever you need, we’ll make it happen.”

He’s been enabling his mate for awhile, but maybe he can enable him in a positive way now.

This is not going to be easy, the tears still burning behind his eyes are proof enough of that. Lucifer still has faith that they can work through this. He just wishes he had started it a little closer to when he returned to Heaven. He is a little bit of a coward sometimes, hiding from things he doesn’t like, taking the easiest way out.

A few tears fall from his eyes, willpower not strong enough to keep them back any longer. He tries to hide them, his earlier sobbing enough, but Michael notices the wet spots on his chest and just pulls him closer. That does it, knocking away the last of his resistance, and Lucifer lets his tears fall freely, purging at least a small portion of his pain.

Michael just holds his mate close, lets him cry. It’s a necessary first step towards healing, hopefully one that serves him well. He really should have pushed Lucifer on this sooner, brought up the fact that his happiness seemed emptier than it used to be, but he didn’t want to rock the boat.

No point in dwelling on that though. From now on, they move forward.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little demonic history, vis a via Lucifer's memory as he tries to help Michael.

Michael blinks his eyes, slowly coming to realise that he fell asleep with Lucifer. The goal was to have Lucifer nap, relax a little from his crying, but he’s not turning down the nap. He checks his mate and sees that he still sleeps. This gives him enough time to make dinner.

He slips out from under Lucifer and the sheets, freezing twice at little noises from Lucifer. His tunic still lies on the floor, so he dresses in seconds before heading into the kitchen. They have plenty of food, but that almost makes it harder to decide what to make.

This is about Lucifer though, so he should let Lucifer pick even if he’s still asleep. Breakfast foods are his favorite foods, so he’ll make breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, waffles, eggs, hash browns, and fresh fruit. That and lots and lots of pancake syrup.

Michael settles into the repetitive actions of cooking pancakes and waffles. Pour batter, wait, flip, wait, take it out to stay warm, and repeat. There’s just one less flip with the waffles. They have a nice Belgian waffle maker, not one of the ones that need to be flipped, just closed.

A simple spell keeps everything warm while he scrambles the eggs and cuts up the fruit. It’s lacking protein, but they can get that later if they need. Michael arranges everything on a tray with a single red rose and heads back to the bedroom.

Lucifer stirs in bed, reaching out for something still half asleep, wondering where it went. As he wakes up further, he realizes that Michael isn’t in bed with him. Sitting up, he checks around the room to see where is mate is because he really doesn’t want to be without him right now, not after this afternoon.

Before he has enough time to really panic, Michael walks into the bedroom with a large tray, calming his concerns. Lucifer tries to figure out what’s on the tray, perking up when he sees breakfast. “Did I sleep that late?”

Shaking his head, Michael levitates the tray so his hands are free to climb back into bed. “No, it’s breakfast for dinner because today seemed like the day for it.”

Lucifer certainly isn’t complaining about it. He nabs the plate that already has a stack of pancakes on it soaking in syrup and starts cutting bites. After swallowing a few bites, he freezes and turns to look at Michael who’s looking back at him with a fond smile. “Please tell me that wasn’t your plate.”

“It wasn’t my plate,” Michael assures him while making up a plate of waffles to start. “I know how much you like your pancakes. Don’t worry.”

Relief rushes through him as he leans over to kiss Michael on the cheek. It leaves a smear of syrup behind that he licks up, getting an elbow in the ribs in response. “Sorry, babe.” He sits back against the pillows, feeling a little more like himself than he has in a while.

After a long moment of silence, Michael broaches the topic of demons and the Sins. “I met a demon today who gave me some interesting information about how the change in Wrath is affecting her. You up to answering questions about them?”

Lucifer’s immediate reaction is to say no, that he’s already told everyone everything that he knows. Books were written about everything he told them when he came back. But if he’s going to start moving past it all, he has to acknowledge that he’s the leading expert on demonic creation and some of the lesser known subtleties. “What do you need to know about?”

“I need to know about how changes in power generally go. There’s no way that Abaddon was the original Wrath.” Well, now that Michael thinks about it, she could have been, but there’s something about that that just doesn’t feel right.

This is going to take awhile. “You’re right, she’s not the first Wrath. She wasn’t even the second Wrath. When I created the Sins, I used seven demons a little stronger than the others but nothing all that special.” Lucifer remembers the need to expand his power but also concerns about creating demons that would overthrow him, or at least try to.

_ Lucifer looks at the seven demons he chose, their names already forgotten. Their names don’t matter after all, just the personalities they have that them matches to a Sin. The Seven Deadly Sins, demons incarnate now, not just a list of words from his Father. _

_ He walks around them, watching as they writhe on the ground, bodies adapting to the power he just thrust inside them. Their bodies will adapt soon enough, and then he can teach them how to use the new power of Hell he just gave them. _

_ Even he knows better to give them the power of angels and Heaven. _

_ For decades, they learn to harness and use the power properly. Lucifer rules above them, happy to have some of the day to day essentials handled by others. It got so damn tedious after awhile. But he does worry a little about Sloth. He was given his Sin for a reason, but that doesn’t mean he can slack on his duties. _

_ Lucifer steps into the throne room of Sloth to be greeted by chaos. He stares for a moment, trying to determine what has happened before drawing his sword when a demon approaches him to attack. A few quick slices of his blade has his enemy dead on the floor in pieces. _

_ Then he steps back to watch the chaos, concealing himself in the corner where no one can see him. As he watches, someone’s forces become strong enough to overtake Sloth. It’s impressive, but then again it’s a little less so when he remembers just how lazy Sloth really is. _

_ He had no idea this was coming though which means he needs to step up his surveillance of the demons. Either that or he needs to pick stronger demons to take on the role of Sins. Perhaps this is the way to do it, see who’s willing to fight for it, who wants to fight for it. He created them after all, so none of them really can turn against him. _

_ Eventually the dust settles, and a victor emerges. Lucifer recognizes the demon but can’t think of its name. It doesn’t matter though; from now on he is Sloth. He wonders how long it’ll take him to get that lazy. As the weaker demons around him start congratulating him, Lucifer reveals himself, walking up to the new Sloth. _

_ “I see congratulations are in order.” The demons around him stop and stare, nerves filling the air with a nasty stench. “You have earned your power.” _

_ Sloth hesitates for a moment, like he doesn’t know how to address Lucifer. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He hesitates for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain his actions to Lucifer. “I couldn’t help but notice that the prior Sloth was not properly using his power to benefit you and your efforts in Hell.” How’s that for bullshitting on the fly? _

_ Lucifer cocks a brow because he can practically smell the shit in the air. It’d be pretty hard over the smell of the blood and sulfur, but still. “Well, then I thank you for your actions. You really did have a good plan for it.” Bullshit for bullshit. _

_ Sloth hesitates, not sure what Lucifer means, if that was serious or sarcasm. Either way, he has the power now, he gets to advise Lucifer, so it doesn’t really matter. “Thank you. I shall endeavor to make you proud.” _

_ If he wants to keep his power, Sloth damn well better learn how to do that. Let’s just see how good he really is. _

“It went fairly smoothly the first time,” Lucier says, shaking himself out of the memory. “Sloth was really fucking lazy, and it didn’t take too much effort to overthrow him. But the other Sins paid attention, and each time since then, it has been harder and harder, more and more work to overthrow a Sin.”

Michael finishes his bite of waffle. “Is there really that much of an advantage to being a Sin rather than a Duke? Sure you get more power, but it also comes with more responsibility and work, more shit you have to do.”

Lucifer shrugs. “Most of them don’t care about that as long as they have more power. They can always delegate after all.” That’s what he did with a lot of the little things.

“What’s the fallout?” Michael asks next while grabbing some pancakes and eggs. Syrupy eggs are good no matter what Lucifer says. “How do the other Sins and the demons in that line react?”

He closes his eyes, thinking back again. It happens so rarely that he really has to think to remember.

_ Wrath paces the throne room as Lucifer watches him, bored already. He’s been ranting and raving for several minutes, but the King still can’t figure out what he wants, what the point is. “Why are you here?” _

_ “Because this can’t stand!” Wrath stares at the King, not sure why he doesn’t seem to understand. “We can’t let that usurper keep Sloth’s place. That’s an unsustainable precedent we cannot permit.” _

_ Ah, that explains it. Lucifer leans back on his throne with a little smirk. “And why can’t we? I need the strongest demons supporting me, and clearly the old Sloth wasn’t one of them.” His smirk grows as Wrath pales. “I have no issues with what happened. Perhaps you should focus on your own security instead of trying to blame others for a problem that may not even exist.” _

_ Wrath’s mouth opens and closes several times, but no words come out. Eventually he gives a stiff smile before bowing to Lucifer. “Very well. I shall make sure my security is as strong as possible.” _

“And he did,” Lucifer tells him around a mouthful of pancake. Michael’d better not take anymore of his pancakes. “That Wrath lasted centuries longer, but he eventually fell. They all do.”

Michael nods, heading for the waffles again this time. He doesn’t want to lose a hand over pancakes. “So Sins react by tightening their security to make sure that underlings don’t ride a wave of enthusiasm and topple other Sins. How do the nobles and lower demons react?”

“Depends. The nobles tend to align themselves with whoever will give them the most power.” Lucifer puts his plate aside to cuddle into Michael’s side, smiling when his wing wraps around them. “If they got a lot from the prior Sin, they may work to get back into power. If they supported the new Sin’s rise to power, then they’ll keep backing the new Sin.”

“What if they don’t support either Sin?” Eating over and around Lucifer isn’t the easiest thing ever, but he manages. Worth it for the skin on skin contact with his mate. “Do they have to pick a side, or can they stay separate?” He’d rather stay separate, let those invested fight it out, but he doubts that it’ll be that simple.

Lucifer tries to remember what happened most of the time. “They can’t stay out of it because if they do, then they’ll be seen as a weakness and potentially attacked themselves. Most picked a side based on who they thought would win.”

All of that makes sense to Michael. The demons will do whatever they can to make sure that they're in the best position possible for their own power. And he can see how the nobles work that way, all of them powerful enough that they can follow their own goals rather than that of their Sin. But Chrissy isn’t a noble, perhaps making her more susceptible to the chaos of change.

“But what about the other demons? What about those controlled by both their nobles and their Sin?” This whole thing has made Michael very glad that angels are far more independent of their superiors than demons are.

Lucifer sighs, not wanting to talk about this anymore. It would be so much better to finish off the pancakes and then play around with the syrup, but now is the time to be responsible. “If their noble supports the new Sin, it should be easy enough. Both people pulling on them agree. But if their noble doesn’t support the new Sin, then there are two forces pulling them apart, trying to use their power, and it can be seriously difficult and a little painful.”

A little painful? That’s not what Michael was expecting to hear. He can’t imagine the chaos lasts that long, certainly not long enough that it’s worth being with angels for the rest of eternity or giving up her wings. “How long can that last?”

“Depends on how long the fighting lasts.” He grabs another pancake to eat, dunking it in the syrup before every bite. A reward for focusing on the work. “If it doesn’t last too long, it’s really not that bad. If it lasts longer than a decade, the longest I’ve seen the fighting last, then it would probably get pretty damn uncomfortable.”

Lucifer wiggles around, out from under Michael’s wing to sit in his lap, facing him. “We’re already at a few years, so I don’t think it’ll last too much longer.”

“There’s a demon that thinks it’s going to take a lot longer, long enough that she preferred to spend the rest of her life in an angelic prison than deal with the infighting.” Lucifer’s eyes widen, hands tightening in the sheets. That’s ridiculous! “And when given the option, she gave up her wings and her magic to live on Earth instead of in a prison in Hell.”

Still shocked, Lucifer has no idea what to say. Michael waits for him to fill the silence, munching on a waffle. “The demon really felt like things were getting that bad?” He hesitates because he probably wouldn’t have volunteered before today, but… “Can I go down next time you go? I’d like to talk to the demons you capture, get an idea of what’s going on and see if I can get a timeline for you all that might reflect when the infighting will end.”

Michael sits up to kiss his mate on the lips. “Not sure when that’ll happen again, but that sounds like a plan to me.”

Lucifer kisses him again and relaxes into his chest as Michael finishes his plate. “We can totally do this, can’t we?”

“Of course we can, babe.” Michael has complete faith in his mate to move forward with this, with any goal really, as long as he puts his mind to it. Whatever chaos this change in Wraths creates, they can handle it.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't remember if I tagged this properly, but Sam and Gabe's relationship is going to be really slow. Sam is beginning to realize that he wants more than just working together, but he isn't sure what. Gabe wants more, but he doesn't want to push, so he's moving slowly. They'll get there, they'll figure out that they want the same thing and how to get it, but it's going to take time. Please have patience for our struggling boys.

Sam rolls over in bed with a small sigh to look at Gabe lying next to him. After brainstorming last night the next steps for the shelter, the first people to interview, it was too late for Gabe to go home. He’s spent time in Gabe’s bed before, but it feels a little weird to have him in his bed. Same thing, them in the same bed, but it’s different when it’s his bed.

As he watches Gabe sleep, kind of creeping on him, Sam relaxes a little more with each breath. It really isn’t that bad, sharing such an intimate space with Gabe. It’s one way for him to get used to spending so much time with the angel.

“I can feel you staring at me.”

Sam lets out a noise he can’t name while tossing the sheets over his face to hide his blush. That doesn’t prevent him from hearing Gabe’s laughter though, and he only blushes harder. He does not want to hear what Gabe thinks about that.

“You can stare all you like,” Gabriel teases the boy, reaching under the sheets to poke at his side, getting another little giggling screech out of him. “I’m quite handsome to look at.”

Sam’s eyes peek out at him over the top of the sheets. There’s a little sense of playfulness in them, a little bit of adventure, but there’s lots of nerves in there too. “Is that what you look like naturally, or have you changed your features?”

Humans are not the only ones who like to change their features, although angels are far more effective than humans. “I haven’t done much, just changed the style and color of my hair.” Gabriel shrugs remembering the way he used to have it and to deal with it. “It was really curly and naturally platinum blonde. It was awful.”

The sheets come down further as Sam’s eyes grow larger. “You had really curly hair?” Clearly, he can’t believe it.

“And so I changed it.” Gabriel runs his hand through his light brown wavy hair with a smile. “Much better, isn’t it?”

Sam nods before he realizes that the sheets are probably hiding the motion. “Yes, definitely much better this way.” He sits up in the bed, pulling the sheets over his lap because he went to sleep without wearing anything. “What about the others?” They need to get to work eventually, but there’s time to talk about family.

That and he doesn’t want to ruin this fun moment.

Gabriel sits up and makes sure to keep the sheets over his lap as well since he forgot clothing to sleep in. “Michael never bothered changing his appearance at all. Lucifer changed it all the fucking time.”

Of course Lucifer did. That sounds exactly like him. “And I bet he did plenty of not so natural things too.”

“He started with hot pink hair and neon green feathers. Sure, he did play with some more natural looks,” Gabriel admits, “but most of them were a little crazy. Although, he hasn’t done much since he got back from Hell. This is as close to his natural look as I’ve seen since he started changing his appearance.”

Sam sees references to changing appearances every so often in the books he reads on security. They warn that this ability can make security a challenge since you can’t always make decisions based on looks. “Do most angels change their appearance, and if they do, natural or unnatural?”

“Most angels play around with it,” Gabe admits with a small shrug, “and the majority is natural. We generally settle on a look that we like within a few decades, and then the changing stops.”

That makes sense. “What about demons? Various books mention changing appearances, but it’s not clear if that’s because they literally change their appearance or if it’s illusion spells.”

Gabriel scoots around on the bed to sit next to Sam, making sure to keep some space between them, keeping Sam’s comfort in mind. “Have you tried to do anything with your appearance? Have you wanted to?”

Sam looks down at his lap, shifting around a little, hands wrinkling and soothing the sheets. “I’ve thought about it, hiding my tail, trying to change what my wings look like, but I’m not sure what spells to use. With my body, it’s not safe to just shove a spell at it and hope that it works.”

At least he’s smart about it, but that really pisses him off to hear. “You don’t need to change your tail or your wings. You’re a demon, and that’s what you have. If you wanted to change the colors, go for it, but you don’t need to do any more than that.”

Sure, hiding those essentially demonic traits may make it a little easier for him to blend into Heaven. But Gabriel doesn’t want to see him hide himself just to satisfy a bunch of asshole angels. To be honest, he actually likes the tail. A lot. He has plans for that tail. 

Said tail flicks out from under the sheets and winds around Gabriel’s wrist. Sam still looks down at the sheets, so Gabriel can’t tell if it’s an intentional act or instinctual. “Do you really not mind the leathery wings and the tail?”

He had no idea that Sam worried so much about his appearance. Sam focuses so much on his brain and what he produces with it that sometimes it seems like he doesn’t care about his body. Apparently not.

“Yes, I like your tail,” he strokes a finger down it, watching the end flick around side to side, “and the leathery wings don’t bother me. They’re different, and you’re different, and that’s fine. If you like it, don’t change it for others.”

Sam tries to figure it out, if he’d be changing it for others or if he’d change it for himself, and he can’t tell. Which is probably a sign that he’d be doing it for others. “I should make my hair blue, grow it down to my butt. Can you imagine the look on Dean’s face when he saw me like that?”

Gabe laughs, whole body tipping back with his laughter. “That would be amazing. If you do it, you have to make sure that I’m there to see it.”

“I’ll try,” Sam promises, already trying to figure out how to change his appearance. He’ll save it for a time after Dean comes back from visiting Castiel in Hell, something to boost his mood. “So, would it be a permanent change that I’d have to change back, or would it be an illusion that fades?”

He’s never really thought about it because although the magic differs, the results are the same. Permanent changes require more energy up front but don’t need magic to maintain them. Illusions don’t require a burst of energy at the beginning, but they do require maintenance magic. “I don’t know. Never bothered to ask the demons I met.”

Well, that makes sense. Sam shrugs, not too interested anymore since he doesn’t really want to change his appearance. If Gabe doesn’t mind it, actually seems to like it, then fuck other angels. “Alright. I’ll look into it, if I need to.” Mind already moving on, he hops out of bed to get dressed for the day, freezing after throwing on his tunic when he realizes that he just flashed Gabe his ass.

He looks back over his shoulder, blushing again, to see Gabe lying back with an arm over his eyes. “Let me know when you’re modest.”

Thank goodness. Sam adds a pair of underwear before deeming himself done. “You can get up now.” He flees his room, not ready to see Gabe naked, leaving him to get dressed on his own. He’ll make breakfast instead, give himself something to do while waiting.

Gabriel waits to hear the door closed to ensure that Sam is gone before getting up. A quick wave of his hand cleans his tunic, and he dresses in moments. Tunics are so  _ easy,  _ and he never fully understood why humans ditched them. Must have something to do with the lack of expression in them.

Leaving the bedroom, Gabriel finds Sam in the kitchen making breakfast by hand rather than magic. He’s more than a little surprised at how easy and practiced his movements are given that Sam is a genius with magic and tends to prefer using it. “Been cooking with Dean a lot?”

Sam shrugs, not looking up from the eggs he whisks in a bowl over heat. “Dean likes to pull me out of the library sometimes, make sure I socialize. We cook most of the time, and I realized that I do like working by hand. I know I can do the magic, it’s easy, so there’s a certain sense of accomplishment when done by hand.” He learned pretty quickly after grating his finger that one time.

Gabriel knows the feeling. Eventually magic becomes so simple that tasks lose their appeal, you lose the joy in doing them. “Does Dean still do the majority of the cooking, or have you taken over the majority?”

“Depends.” Sam shifts to start adding all of the ingredients together, glancing over at Gabe. He knows that if Gabe is here, he’s dressed, but he still has to check. “If Dean’s here, he’s generally the one cooking and definitely the one in charge, but I try to help him when I can. So it’s a mix of the both of us.”

“I really need to start coming over more often,” Gabriel announces, sliding along the counter to start separating the English muffins so they can be toasted. “I just magic some stuff together and know that it has to taste good because magic. Doesn’t mean that it’s any fun or really tastes good. There’s just something missing when it’s magic-made.”

Sam hesitates because although he lives here, it still really isn’t his house. “Well, if Castiel doesn’t mind, I know Dean wouldn’t mind having another person to cook for. You could start coming over more often.” He hesitates again, but if Gabe’s willing to have Sam visit him at his house, then he’s probably not opposed to visiting Sam in his house when Sam’s the only one home.

“I’d like to have you over more often too.”

Gabriel has a feeling that took a lot of courage for Sam to say given the stiffness in his shoulders. “Sounds like a plan. We’ll have to ask Cassie next him we see him.” Just move past it, let Sam calm down on his own. He’s not quite sure where the nerves come from given how much time they’ve spent together before, but emotions aren’t always logical. 

“Sounds good.” Sam can’t help the smile that bursts across his face at the idea of having Gabe around even more often. He really does like the angel, it’s just learning to be comfortable with him and the idea of spending that much more time together. There’s a difference between hanging out together in Heaven in relative privacy and starting something that everyone can see once they’re down on Earth. 

They finish making breakfast together without talking, the only sound coming from the cooking ingredients. When it’s all assembled, they sit at the countertop to eat, and although part of Sam wants to talk over their plans for the day, their plans for beginning interviews, he doesn’t want to break the comfortable quiet. They can always start talking after they eat.

So he keeps his mouth busy with his breakfast, really enjoying it, and waits to finish before getting down to business. They have time.


	23. Chapter 23

Before they can leave to head over to the warrior barracks, planning on talking to angels currently on a short break from Hell, someone knocks on the door. Sam’s first instinct is to prepare his magic for an attack, but an enemy wouldn’t knock. “Can you tell who that is?”

Gabriel stretches out his senses, but he doesn’t recognize the personality. “No, but I can tell that they don’t mean any harm. Go ahead and open the door.” Normally he’d wait for Castiel to make the decisions in his own house, but he’s not here. Where he and Dean vanished to so early, he has no idea, but he can manage without them.

Sam nods and heads for the door, magic still simmering just under his skin, making sure he’s ready for whatever might be on the other side. He opens it to see an angel he’s never seen before, large speckled wings standing high behind him. “Hello.”

The angel blinks, probably not expecting to have Sam greet him. “I was hoping to talk to Commander Castiel first, or Commander Gabriel, but you are Sam, correct?”

He raises his eyebrows at the angel wondering just how he knew to look for Gabe here. Maybe he can sense him with the door open now. “Yes, I’m Sam.” No point in denying it, not as one of two demons in Heaven. His tail and wings are a dead giveaway. 

“I really was hoping to talk to you.” The angel bows to Sam, low enough to be differential without being so low as to mock. “Commander Michael mentioned a project that you started with Commander Gabriel, and I wanted to offer my services.”

Now he stares. Michael is offering him people to interview, people that he will lose out of his staff? Sam steps aside in silence to let the angel in, not quite sure what to say. The angel follows him across the threshold, and Sam leads him into the living room where Gabe lounges on the sofa.

“Ah, Enoch. Long time, no see.” Sam relaxes a little when he realizes that Gabe knows the angel. He can’t be a threat, or much of one, if Gabe stays relaxed like this. “Have a seat.”

Enoch sits in one of the armchairs, sharing the sofa seeming far too familiar for the situation. “Thank you. Commander Michael was in Hell yesterday, assisting Sigal and me with a prisoner, and he mentioned your current project, the shelter you want to establish.”

“And you’re interested in helping?” Gabriel asks, taking the lead for the moment. It may be Sam’s project, but he’s going to vet all of the potential employees, make sure they’re serious about this so they don’t have people playing with Sam.

“Yes. I’ve been a warrior for centuries, and sometimes it seems like the human legend of Sisyphus. Always pushing the rock up the hill but never reaching the top.” Enoch takes a deep breath and looks at Sam. Commander Gabriel tests him now, but Sam likely has the final say. “I want to do something that will really help people.”

When Enoch turns to address Sam, Gabriel takes a step back. If he respects Sam enough to address him directly, then he must be serious about this. He isn’t too familiar with Enoch, but he trusts Michael to refer good people to the shelter.

“So you’re interested in serving as a guardian to the shelter?” Sam tucks his legs up to the side so he can put his hands between them. It’ll keep him from playing with his fingers and exposing his nerves.

“Yes. I’ve been fighting in Hell for millenia, so I have plenty of capabilities to defend the shelter.” Enoch sits back a little, just slightly relaxed, feeling like he overcame an invisible hurdle. “I’d like to use those skills in a way that isn’t just killing demons. There will always be demons to kill, and helping people feels like a better use of my skills.”

Sam nods, agreeing with everything he hears. There will always be more demons, always be demons that cause problems for the angels. Helping people beyond just rescuing them is something new, something that will have a longer lasting effect. At least, that’s the goal. “How familiar are you with Earth? Do you spend a lot of time there?”

Enoch hesitates, hoping that it won’t be his downfall. “No, I have not. I would have to take some time to become accustomed to Earth, to humans. Perhaps I could work with you and the other staff preparing the shelter for survivors to get used to being on Earth with humans.”

“That sounds good.” Sam hesitates a moment, willing to be somewhat relaxed with Enoch as he was honest about not being used to Earth. “You are the first angel getting an interview, so there will be plenty of time before we can begin. If you want to spend that time on Earth, that sounds good to me. And the first thing we wanted of the guardians was construction work.” At least one warrior is willing to do more than that.

“Most warriors should be willing to do most physical labor,” Gabriel adds, making sure that Enoch doesn’t forget that he’s here even if he does approve so far. “Maybe not cleaning,” he admits with a grin, remembering all the arguments that happened in his family about cleaning without magic, “but just about anything else.”

Enoch nods his agreement, looking between Sam and Gabe. “It would be nice to create something for once instead of destroy.” Mgic would be easier, but the rules change on Earth.

Sam smiles at him, glad to hear that he’s not the only one with dreams of doing more. “We haven’t quite figured out the finances yet,” he admits, “but that’s in part because I don’t make the final determination. Although the Council has agreed to support the shelter, will give us what we need to build the shelter and for the supplies, paying the staff is up to them. They have to determine what the work is truly worth.”

“Perhaps they could pay us the same for a year as they would as a warrior,” Enoch offers, wondering if they’ll even hear his opinion or if he’s just wasting air, “and then check where we are in a year to determine it then. Although some of us would be willing to work for free for a year, I know that not all angels will.”

That sounds good to Sam, but he also doesn’t have to worry about finances because he doesn’t get paid. Based on their house and their ease of getting food and clothes and more, Sam doubts Castiel has any issues either. But what do angels need money for? Can’t they make everything they need with magic?

“What do they need their pay for?” Sam doesn’t ask Gabriel because he wants to hear it from someone who makes roughly the same amount as the other angels he wants to hire. Or so he assumes. “Doesn’t magic remove the need for money?”

Enoch shakes his head with a small smile. “You’d think so, but no. For archangels and seraphim, magic does remove the need as they can create just about anything. But for angels in the lower echelons, making food can be very difficult, so there are grocery stores in Heaven. They also need to pay for trips to Earth and for permission to bring Earthly objects back to Heaven.”

Oh. Sam had no idea that things were so different for lower ranks of angels. He knows that demons have more benefits the higher ranked they are, but he naively assumed that all angels had the same benefits. Apparently not. “So they pay for food and trips to Earth. Anything else?”

He thinks for a moment then shrugs. “As a whole, not generally. Some angels will offer their magic to others depending on their specialties, but that’s a matter of what an individual wants, not what they need. Housing is provided by Heaven, not this large but definitely nice, but you can always purchase more space and nicer decorations if you want.”

“It’s mostly for fun things,” Gabriel sums up, “because the idea is that you earn money to pay for enjoyable things when you take a break from serving Heaven. We have sufficient resources that no angel should be in need, but it is always good to give people an incentive to work, hence paying for food.” Not that they’d actually let an angel strave. Everyone works, so everyone makes enough. 

“And we make more than enough for that, even at the lowest pay grade,” Enoch assures Sam who’s starting to look a little leery about the situation. “No one has to worry about money in Heaven, but we can get accustomed to certain things and don’t always like change.”

That makes sense to Sam. Even if he was just putting money away for the future, he’d make plans based on receiving the same amount of money all the time, so a change could be a hassle. “Then I’ll do what I can to make sure that things stay the same.”

Enoch smiles at the boy, relaxing into the idea of working for him. Even with his youth, he seems to have a good head on his shoulders, like he knows what he’s doing and when to get advice when he doesn’t. “Do you know when you will have enough staff to begin work down on Earth, building up the shelter?”

Sam shakes his head with a little grimace. He’d love to plan for that, but there are too many variables. “I have an idea of who to talk to, who to offer a job and interview, but I have no idea who will actually accept the offer. I can’t go down until I have enough staff.”

“Do you still have room for other referrals? Not everyone in Hell wants to be a warrior, and I know of several who’d consider working for you in place of fighting.” Enoch has spent many nights commiserating over pints of beer with other angels who want to serve Heaven who can’t be anything other than warriors but hate the fighting.

“I’ll take any that you can give me,” Sam admits, looking around for some paper so that Enoch can write the names down. “Again, just because others think the angel might be interested doesn’t mean they will accept the offer. With you already hired, at least those you know can ask you questions before deciding as a resource other than me.”

“Whatever you need.” Enoch never thought of himself as unhappy or too dissatisfied, but now that he has this new opportunity in front of him, he realizes just how much he needed this. Change can be such a good thing.

“Thank you.” Sam stands and bows at the angel, the first of his staff. He has to clamp down on the smile waiting to burst out with excitement. The shelter is actually happening. “If you give Gabriel your contact information, we will reach out to you once we have more information, a better idea of dates. And you can reach out if you have questions or have other angels for us to reach out to.”

Enoch stands to bow back to the young demon, hiding a smile. He acts so formal, but he can see the excitement burning behind his eyes. So mature, yet still showing his youth. “Until next time then.” Another bow to Archangel Gabriel before he lets himself out, shutting the door behind him. First step towards a better future, now to tell Sigal about it.

Sam waits for the door to close and for the sense of the angel to vanish before jumping up and down a few times, throwing his hands in the air. He did it! He, a teenaged demon, has just hired an older angel for a shelter to help humans. This is happening.

Gabriel scoops Sam up to twirl him around in a big circle, enthusiasm contagious. “Congratulations! One down, a few more to go.”

Sam hugs the angel with a massive smile. “We can do this, can’t we?”

“Yes, we can.” Gabriel wonders if Sam realizes that he said ‘we can do it’ instead of that he can do it, but now’s not the time to focus on that. Now is all about celebrating their first step towards having a full staff.

They can definitely do this.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's moving forward with his plans, meeting new people. Progress, baby!
> 
> Also, I was so focused on writing that I forgot to post. So I have two chapters for you today. Sorry!

After the euphoria of his first hire dies down, Sam pushes at Gabe so that they’re sitting on the sofa. He ends up in the angel’s lap where he’s not exactly comfortable right now, so he wiggles until they’re sitting side by side. “So where do we go from here?”

“We start with the list that Enoch gave me.” Gabriel pulls out the piece of paper that Enoch handed him as he left. “Miri, Tikva, and Elrad are the first three angels angels who he suggests. I don’t recognize any of these names, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Sam tells him with a shrug. There’s no way that this is going to be perfect. “At least we know they can’t shut the door in your face, so they’ll have to at least hear us out.” Most people if not everyone would probably just shut the door in his face, not wanting to talk to talk to a demon.

Gabriel shrugs, not really liking the sound of that. “If you don’t mind, I think you should go first. If they feel like they have to listen to you because I’m there, it might not be the best tone to start things off.”

When he puts it that way, Sam understands his point and starts to question his plan. He can plan anything, like this shelter, can find all the magic for it, receive funding, determine the type of staff he needs. The interpersonal interactions required to move everything past planning is not as easy. “And if they won’t even let me tell them the plan before they shut me out?”

“Then they aren’t right for this.” Gabriel turns so that their eyes meet, wanting to put Sam back in his lap for comfort but not wanting to push too hard. This is about the shelter, not about his wants for their relationship. “Anyone working on this project will have to work for you, and if they won’t even give you a moment to speak, then they’ll never be able to work for you.”

Yet again, Gabe has a point. As much as this is his project, Sam is starting to realize just how much of a weakness his age is. Experience is an amazing teacher, one he lacks when it comes to dealing with angels. He is still just a child.

Nodding, Sam stands up and looks at his tunic. It’s a basic white, nothing special since he’s normally just running around the house, mostly the library. “Is there a way to make my attire look more formal, so it’s clear from a look that I’m not there for a silly reason?”

“Purple,” Gabriel announces, getting off the sofa to look at Sam’s tunic, already pulling on his magic. “Humans often view purple as a sign of wealth, for royalty, and angels have adopted that coloring as well. So, a few stripes of purple over your shoulders will indicate that you are there for a more formal reason.”

He works his fingers over the white fabric, dying it as seems proper for the intention they discussed. It looks good, and Gabriel then reaches up to add a similar decoration to his tunic. He has a little more purple, as befitting his rank, but no so much that it drowns out Sam’s touches of purple. “Ready?”

Not at all. He’s lost all of his excitement and only has nerves now, nerves that make him wonder if he can do this. Can he really talk someone into working for him, an angel so much older that him? Sam closes his eyes, trying to deep breathe the nerves away so that he can at least try to interview and hire someone.

“How do we get there? And are we staying in Heaven or traveling to Hell?” Sam looks up at Gabe since he’s the only one who will know.

The list shows that all three angels are currently in Hell which makes sense if they work with Enoch. Gabriel looks over at Sam with a little grimace. “Have you been back to Hell since Cassie and Dean rescued you as a child?”

Sam’s eyes widen just slightly as he slowly shakes his head. “I never wanted to go back, and Castiel never asked me to. I’ve barely even left Heaven at all.”

Well, this could get interesting then. “Enoch’s angels are in Hell. If we’re going back there, I need to ask you to wear something to restrict your magic.” He really doesn’t like the idea, but he also knows that taking a teenaged demon to Hell with no restrictions would get him in serious trouble.

He does not like the idea of that at all. Sam doesn’t have the physical ability to defend himself, leaving him with just his magic. “And if something goes wrong? This is Hell we’re talking about, and even in angel-controlled territories, things can go wrong.”

Gabe waves his hand back a forth, a golden bracelet slowly appearing in his palm. “This is tied to me, and as soon as I do anything offensive or defensive with magic, the bracelet will shatter, giving you access to your magic.” He knows exactly how volatile Hell can be.

Sam holds out his wrist for the angel to put the bracelet on him. As soon as it settles against his skin, he can feel the restrictions on his magic, muted but not closed off. He immediately starts testing it, treating it like the magic in the lollipops that used to make him do embarrassing things.

Gabriel watches Sam frown at the bracelet without moving or saying anything. He can’t feel any magic around them, which was the goal, but there’s such a look of concentration on Sam’s face that he knows something is going on. As he watches, the bracelet loses some of its golden luster just before Sam looks up at him with a smile.

“Well, it’s not ideal, but I’ll survive.” Sam’s smile grows just a little, and Gabriel can’t shake the feeling that he’s missing out on something. “To Hell?”

Shaking off his discomfort, Gabriel takes Sam’s hand and leads them out of the house and down to Hell. Whatever Sam did, it won’t hurt him, so he doesn’t worry about it. 

When they step through the portal into the slightly lit corridor of Hell, Sam drops to his knees as memories hit him like a wall with the scent of sulfur. Dean being taken away from him, Dean crying when he was brought back, Sam being drained of magic for the nobles above him, Lola slapping him for crying too long.

Hell fucking sucks.

Wrapped up in the memories, emotions rolling through him, Sam doesn’t notice when someone touches him. He tries to hold back the sobs with no luck, forced to relive memories he didn’t even know he had. Tears pour down his cheeks as more and more comes back to him, things hidden in his mind by his time in Heaven.

Gabriel swears to himself while holding Sam to his chest. He should have expected this. Ten years in Heaven might dull his memories, but that doesn’t mean Sam’s life didn’t start here. And it probably wasn’t the nicest start either.

There’s nothing he can do to help Sam with this, so he just holds him close, making sure nothing comes near them. He also wants to make sure that Sam doesn’t hurt himself, twisting around with his memories. They’ll just have to ride it out.

Eventually, the memories stop coming, and Sam realizes that he’s being held to Gabe’s chest. He jerks away, feeling like he’s being babied and not liking it. He also doesn’t like letting Gabe see him like this, anything other than his best.

“Apparently scent really is good for bringing back memories,” he says, brushing off his tunic of nonexistent dust. Gabe must have caught him before he hit the ground. Sam raises his eyes, daring the angel to say anything about it.

“Apparently.” Gabriel wants to say more, wants to make sure that Sam really is alright before moving forward, but he can tell that pushing at the moment would be disastrous. “Follow me, then.”

Sam follows Gabe through the labyrinthian corridors as they head towards the next angel to interview. He needs to remember to ask the angel’s name before they knock on the door. Pushing that aside for the moment, Sam focuses on adjusting to the smell of sulfur and keeping the memories at bay.

The walk ends up being more like a trek, but they get there. Sam was half expecting a large room with bunk beds everywhere, but either this angel ranks higher than that or they all get their own rooms. He takes a deep breath, damn sulfur, and prepares himself to sell his shelter to this angel better than Lucifer sold Eve on the apple.

Although this is a much better cause, he swears.

Before he knocks, Sam remembers the other detail he needs. “Which angel are we visiting?” He looks up at Gabe for the first time since they started walking.

“This is Miri,” Gabriel tells the boy, impressed at how well he pulled himself together while walking. He really shouldn’t be, Sam seems very good at mind over matter, but he still is.

Sam nods and knocks on the door. Gabriel steps to the side, making sure that the first thing Miri sees is Sam in his more formal tunic, not him. There’s a long wait, long enough Gabriel starts to wonder if she’s home, but then the door opens.

“Yes?” Miri looks down to see a demon waiting at her door. Instinct tells her to grab her sword, but then she notices the tunic, a distinctly angelic styled one, and the smell of Heavenly magic lingering on his skin. “Who the Hell are you?”

“My name is Samuel,” the demon introduces himself with a little bow, “and I’m here with a proposal for you, one to assist Heaven.” He gestures off to the side where Miri notices the archangel Gabriel for the first time. “Gabriel is supporting me with my project, and he is here to assure that this is serious, not a prank.”

Of all people to align with a demon, an archangel was pretty low on her list. Then again, everyone has heard about Commander Castiel and his demonic mate, a mate with a brother. She looks at the demon again and registers just how young he is. That’s not a youthful appearance he chose; he is literally that young.

“Very well.” She steps back to usher them both into her rooms. Miri wonders just how formal she needs to be with Archangel Gabriel given that he has come to her house to ask for her help, but he’s still her superior. “Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything?”

“I’m fine.” Samuel looks over at Gabriel who shakes his head no.

“Alright.” She could use a drink right now, a pretty stiff one, but if her guests don’t want anything, then she doesn’t get anything. “What are your proposal and project?”

Samuel sits up straighter in his chair and explains about a shelter on Earth designed to help anyone rescued from Hell who wants help. Human, angel,  _ and  _ demon. With the end goal of integrating them into human society, they would offer counseling, self-defense classes, regular school classes, instructions on human institutions and the required actions of an adult living in the human world, and more.

It sounds like an amazing idea, but Miri has no idea if it would be successful and can’t tell if she even thinks it could succeed. “And if no one wants help?”

That stops the demon in his tracks for a moment, but he recovers quickly enough. “Then we won’t need the shelter. From what I understand reading through old records in Commander Castiel’s library, the majority of rescued people are just released on Earth. One angel decided to track them for a while and discovered that the majority failed to reintegrate into society, and many ended up prisoners back in Hell for second, third, and fourth times.

“Not everyone will accept help. I suspect that many of the weaker demons who choose to live on Earth will reject help. But I want it to be there for those who want it. For a human who had no idea beings like us exist, to find yourself a prisoner in Hell must be a serious shock, one that doesn’t just go away because you’ve been rescued.

“And no one alters the memories of these humans, just drops them back on Earth like rescuing is the only responsibility an angel has. Perhaps fewer humans would be prisoner multiple times if they got help to move past their trauma.”

Samuel takes a deep breath, raising his eyes from her face to her eyes for the first time. “Even if they don’t want help right away, it should be an option; it should be there for them. And if no one else will do it, then I will.”

Miri has been a warrior of Heaven for thousands of years. She did her duty as was expected of her and never questioned anything. Yet in roughly ten years, this one child has discovered a flaw in the way they handle things and made moves to corrected it.

Angels should be ashamed of themselves.

“So you would like me to act as a guardian of your shelter, and this would qualify as my service to Heaven?” Both men nod. “Then please, sign me up. I would love to help you.”

When the boy smiles at her, cheek to cheek, smiling back is automatic.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, Sam will explain his memories once he has a chance to breathe and is not in Hell. But work comes first for him, so interviews first.

Sam spends a little more time with Miri going over his plans for the shelter in more detail now that she has committed to it. Gabriel adds a little here and there, mostly when Miri starts to look a little doubtful, but he leaves the majority to Sam.

Not only is this Sam’s project, Gabriel doesn’t want to make Sam feel like Gabriel doesn’t believe he can do it.

Once they answer all of Miri’s questions, she escorts them out, closing the door softly behind them. Sam takes a few steps down the corridor in the direction they came before sinking to the ground on his knees, head in his hands. Gabriel hesitates, not sure what he wants from him, waiting for some kind of indication of anything he can do.

When a small hand reaches out in his direction, Gabriel takes it, swooping the boy up in his arms, wrapping them in his wings. They stay like that in silence for a long moment, Sam’s face resting in his neck as he works through his thoughts. Gabriel holds him, content to wait like this.

“I never realized how much I forgot until I came back,” Sam finally whispers, voice slightly muffled by Gabriel’s neck. “It’s like my life before Heaven didn’t exist other than my love for Dean, but now? Now I remember it all.”

Gabriel has no idea what to say here, not a therapist or counselor of any type at all. Normally, he’s just there for people, letting them talk it out, but Sam seems to need a little more interaction. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Not the right thing to say. Sam stiffens up in his arms, tail going tight around his thigh, but he doesn’t pull away. Gabriel waits, not wanting to say the wrong thing again. “I don’t know.” A deep breath, air rushing over his collar bones. “I don’t want it to change things.”

Shit. Gabriel gets a hand between them so he can lift Sam’s head, connecting their eyes. “It won’t change anything. I might feel bad for you while listening, but you’ll still be the little genius I threw off a cliff to teach how to fly. You’ll still be the research loving boy who did everything he could to help Michael deal with Bartholomew.”

You’ll still be the boy I’m falling in love with, my mate.

A few tears well up in the corners of his eyes, but a few sniffles prevent them from falling. “You can’t know that.”

Gabriel sighs, wondering what to say to convince him without scaring him away. “Sam, you were a child. When Cassie and Dean brought you to Heaven, you were four years old. Even with your rapid aging, especially mentally, you were a child. Anything bad you might have done, I doubt you did because you wanted to. It’s far more likely that you were forced to. And if you really were evil at heart, you couldn’t do angelic magic.”

That’s something that’s been debated back and forth between angelic scholars since they realized that demons could do angelic magic, but it’s not a set fact. Generally speaking, the nastier a demon’s actions, the less angelic magic they can do. It’s not always a direct correlation, but it’s pretty close, close enough to tell Sam.

Sam’s eyes widen at the fact. He looks down at the bracelet locking his magic but still whispers a small spell for light, an angelic one. Sure enough, a little ball of light appears between their torsos, flickering for a moment before vanishing when Sam mutters the counter spell. “That means I’m okay, that I haven’t done anything too unforgivable?”

Gabriel wonders what he’s referring to, what was ‘not too unforgivable,’ and that’s when he remembers that Sam knows how to counter his magic. That he’s been doing it for years which means he likely did the same to the bracelet, reducing its effect on his magic which would explain his earlier focus on the bracelet. “Correct. You haven’t done anything too unforgivable.”

That and he’s building up a lot of good karma with his shelter. Karma isn’t considered a part of Christianity, but it’s a good name for a concept that applies everywhere. If you do good things with the intention of helping others, without thinking of how you may benefit, you benefit in the long run. Like Christians who do charity working, trying to help others although they don’t benefit from it directly at the moment.

It can help their soul avoid Hell, but if that’s their main purpose in volunteering, it taints the soul. Intentions are essential to karma.

Sam nods, trying to figure out what to do now. He doesn’t really want to stay in Hell, doesn’t really want to talk about his memories here. But he also doesn’t want to go to Heaven, adjust back to that, then have to get used to the smell of sulfur again. He doesn’t want to get slammed with memories again. “Can we do the last two interviews? After that, we can go home and talk.”

Gabe stands up with him still in his arms. “Of course. Tikva is closer than Elrad, but we can visit them in whatever order you like.”

He considers wiggling enough to be put down, but Sam wants a little more contact with Gabe for a moment after dealing with his emotions. That and staying in touch is another sign that he’s not lying, that he’s not mad about Sam being a demon, that he probably won’t reject him when he hears about his memories.

“Let’s talk to Tikva first since she’s closer. It makes more sense than going back and forth and retracing our steps.” And it’ll be faster, letting them get back to Heaven sooner than if they don’t.

Nodding, Gabriel lets his wings out to whisk them away. Just because Tikva is closer doesn’t mean she’s all that close. It’s still a fairly short flight, Gabriel setting Sam down just outside of Tikva’s door right as he really started to get into a good rhythm. “Ready?”

Sam takes a deep breath to steady himself, not as used to being flown since he started flying himself. “Ready.” He knocks on the door, and it’s opened within seconds.

Tikva has her sword at the ready, has had it ever since she sensed the demon outside her door. What doesn’t make sense is why she can sense an archangel with the demon. Said angel is the only reason she doesn’t skewer the demon as soon as she can. “What?”

“My name is Samuel,” it says like she cares, giving a little bow, “and I have a proposal for you, a new way for you to serve Heaven.”

It’s a demon, so she should ignore it, but now she’s curious. Perhaps the demon is a traitor to his kind, working with Heaven to bring down all the demons. “Then come on in.” She sends her sword back to its place, not needing it at the moment. A second will have it back in her hand if absolutely necessary.

Gabriel follows Sam into the apartment, instincts on edge. He can’t tell if Sam saw it, but he definitely noticed the sword in Tikva’s hand when she answered the door. Enoch may have passed her name along, but Gabriel gets a very different vibe from her than he got from Enoch or Miri.

This might not go well.

Tikva gestures for her to visitors to take a seat on the sofa, taking an armchair for herself so that she can watch both of them at once. The demon might be taking the lead, but the archangel worries her the most. “You said you had a proposal?” she prompts after a long moment of silence.

The demon startles a little then launches into a speech about a shelter he wants to build on Earth to help the victims that angels rescue during raids. Tikva wonders if he realizes just how ironic it is, that he has come up with this before any angels have.

A demon wanting to help those demons have hurt. How pathetic. If you’re going to be a demon, at least take pride in your nastiness.

Not that she really sees the need for such a shelter. The humans have been rescued. Why should they expect anything else from Heaven? Once free, it’s their job to get back to their lives, not Heaven’s job to do it for them. She lets the demon prattle on, just to make sure she understands the entire scope of the thing even though she knows she’ll never do it.

And then- “Wait, repeat that part.”

The demon blinks at her a few times like he doesn’t understand the order for a moment. “We will also help those demons who ask for our help. Not all demons are manipulating users, and those who have been tortured and used as much as humans deserve the same type of help.”

“No.” Tikva sits back and shakes her head. “No way, period. No demon, no matter its ability or what has been done to it deserves any type of help.” She knew the demon would reveal itself eventually.

Sam’s brow wrinkles as he tries to figure out where her venom comes from. Plenty of angels seem to dislike demons, but it’s mainly the nobles that are hated like this. There’s a greater sense of pathetic pity for those weak enough to be captured and used by other demons. “Not all demons are the same, just like not all angels are the same.”

“How dare you compare angels to demons.” Eyes flashing with outrage, Tikva stands up to tower over the filth on her sofa, not bothered by the archangel at his side. “Demons are demons, regardless, and they should all be wiped out as soon as possible, not helped, no matter what.”

Sam has no idea what to say to her. Obviously, he expected angels to dislike or hate demons, but if she hates them so much, why did she let him in? Before he can ask, she starts pacing the room, ranting about demons.

“They’re a stain upon existence and our Father’s hard work of creation. If the archangels and seraphim simply tried hard enough, I  _ know  _ they have the magic to wipe out Hell and the demons once and for all. Then no one would have to worry about temptation or being a warrior ever again.” Chest heaving with emotion, she turns to face the Archangel Gabriel. “Well? Why haven’t you figured it out yet? You’ve had plenty of time.”

“It’s not that simple.” Sam speaks up before Gabe because he knows he can explain this better than the angel can. “First of all, demons and Hell were created by God. To wipe it all out, to destroy something He created would likely cost the lives of every angel in existence. A spell like that would take more energy than you could fathom.

“And aren’t all angels supposed to love what their Father has created, no matter what?” He can’t help himself and smirks at the outrage on her face. “Although you fight them to protect humanity, perhaps those higher up haven’t wiped them all out because that’s your Father’s wishes. It really isn’t your place to question them.”

Gabriel wants to kiss Sam and smack him on the head simultaneously. Those are wonderful points regarding demons and magic and God, but does he really need to provoke the angel who looks about five seconds away from skewering him?

“God didn’t create Hell and the demons,” Tikva spits, stopping her pacing for the moment. “Lucifer did, when he got his panties in a twist and felt the need to run away.”

“Actually, all Lucifer did was manipulate the energies of Hell to create new demons,” Sam corrects her. How can she not know such basic information? “God created Hell and demons, and there are still demons around older than even Lucifer himself. He only worked with what God had created long before.”

How does a demon know so much about Heaven and their Father? They must be giving him access to angelic libraries, a blasphemy of the highest order. Perhaps the rumors that Commander Castiel took a demon for his mate aren’t too far-fetched.

Either way, Tikva really couldn’t care less. “Whatever. That doesn’t change the fact that I refuse to help any demon, ever, and I certainly won’t work under one. Go take your proposal somewhere else, and I seriously hope that no angel is stupid enough to say yes to you.”

Sam stands and delivers a little bow, trying not to sink to her level of pettiness. “Thank you for hearing me out.” Trusting Gabe to keep him safe, he turns his back on the angel and heads to the front door, letting himself out.

Gabriel watches him leave, making sure he’s clear and safe before standing himself. He looks at Tikva, so many words bubbling up but not sure what to say, not sure what might make it worse. She raises an eyebrow at him, challenging him, and he shakes his head, walking away. A bigot like her isn’t worth his time or energy.

As soon as the door shuts behind the archangel, Tikva walks to the study, grabbing a messenger stone. She scribbles a quick message to her friend telling him everything she just learned. If this shelter becomes a thing, they will have to monitor it, make sure it doesn’t become something too big.

Helping demons? Never.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that the tags have been updated. Sam prepared to tell Gabe about his memories, and they're not kind. This chapter isn't too explicit, but is a heads up for the next chapter which will.

Outside Tikva’s door, Sam turns to stare at Gabe, not sure what to say. Again, he never expected all angels to like or really tolerate demons, but that level of hatred came out of nowhere. He tries to figure out what he wants to ask Gabe but can’t seem to find the words.

“Yes, I know about angels like her,” Gabriel tells the boy, taking his hand and walking away from her door, wanting to put some space between them and her venom. “There will always be angels who turn to hate rather than apathy about demons. Had I known she thought that way, I never would have brought you here.”

“I’m glad we went,” Sam argues, tugging on his hand so that Gabriel stops and looks down at him. “No, it wasn’t pleasant, but I need to know about people like her. I need to know that although the Council and Michael support me, there may be angels who hate what I’m doing. The human phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’ is not accurate at all.”

Trust Sam to see the bigger picture and take the high road. “Alright. You handled that pretty well, although you needled her a little more than I might have liked.” He was ready the entire time, making sure she didn’t make a move against Sam, but until then, he’d let Sam take care of things.

“It’s good to know how illogical your enemy’s argument is.” Tikva and other angels like her aren’t exactly an enemy, but they definitely aren’t friends. “Are there really angels who believe that Lucifer created Hell? He’s an archangel, but even he doesn’t have that much raw creation power.”

Gabriel shrugs and gets them walking again. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve been pretty out of touch with many angels for a long time, ever since I stopped serving as a warrior. I know the truth because I’m an archangel, and he’s my brother. I’m not sure where the confusion comes from.” Although he might slip a word to some teachers he knows, make sure they’re aware of the problem to try and prevent it from continuing to happen.

“I just thought angels would know better,” Sam grouses, nose wrinkled up all cute. “Demons, I get. The nobles and Sins talk about Lucifer like their god, and he did create them, in a way. But he had to use the raw materials God created originally. It didn’t take long in Castiel’s library for me to figure that out.”

“Does Dean know?” Gabriel knows that Sam shares plenty of information with Dean, but it seems to relate mostly to warrior magic, not so much history. Although Cassie did make Dean take lessons from Sam, so he really doesn’t know.

Sam nods with a little shrug. “I didn’t know Lucifer was family at the time, but it seemed like we should both know the truth. And now that I know he’s family, it seems important to set the record straight.”

For someone raised by demons, the son of a Sin, Sam’s familial instincts will constantly amaze Gabriel. He hopes he gets used to it eventually because he doesn’t want to be surprised by positive things like that. Sam is so much more than his demonic heritage.

“So, now what? Would you like to find Elrad and interview him as well, or would you prefer to go home?” Personally, Gabriel wants a break from Hell at the moment, angels too to be honest, but it’s not his decision.

Sam hesitates, not entirely sure. He wants to do this final interview, get it out of the way, but he isn’t up to dealing with another angel like Tikva. Going back to Heaven also means talking to Gabe, telling him about the memories that came back. Neither one sounds all that appealing, but he has to make a decision.

“Can we go to Earth?” Maybe it’ll be easier there, not the purity of Heaven, but also not the sulfur tainted Hell that caused his misery. “I don’t want to talk to Elrad today, but I’m not really ready to go back to Heaven either. I don’t really care where we go; you can pick the destination.”

A break on Earth sounds perfect, and Gabriel tells him so while taking them to the nearest portal. He thinks through the various places he’s visited and settles on Yosemite National Park in the United States of America. They can be entirely alone or find wildlife or even be on the periphery of humanity if Sam wants.

The first thing Sam notices once on Earth is the lack of sulfur in the air. Without even realizing it, he slowly adjusted to it while in Hell, down there long enough his nose adapted. It might even be because he’s a demon, the smell not bothering him too long because that’s where he belongs, genetically speaking.

Then he notices the leaves on the trees around them. Oranges, reds, and yellows as far as the eye can see. This must be the autumn that he has read so much about. He expected to see green, but now that he’s over the surprise, Sam realizes just how beautiful the lack of green is. A pity that such beautiful colors indicate the leaves are dying.

“Are we near any animals?” he asks, keeping his voice soft so as to not disturb nature any more than necessary.

Gabriel takes a deep breath, reaching out with his senses to see what he can find. For a long moment, nothing, and then… “There’s a herd of deer about a mile to our left. If we can walk quietly, we can watch them grazing.”

Sam gestures for him to go, and they head off to watch the deer. They’re placid creatures, not really doing much, but Sam appreciates the peacefulness, the lack of frantic energy that some animals have. He suspects that a predator might change that though, kicking them into action and having them dash about in an effort to stay alive.

And so goes the circle of predator and prey, of strong and weak, of life.

They watch the deer for a while, but Sam starts to get anxious, knowing that he’s just delaying the inevitable, a conversation they have to have. Gabe might not push him if he thinks Sam doesn’t want to talk, but he deserves to know. Sam can’t lie to him, can’t keep this from him now that he knows.

“Can we find people now?” he asks, eyes still on the herd. “I don’t want to talk to them, don’t want food, but I don’t want to be as alone as we are right now.”

After a short moment, Gabe points off in the distance with a little shrug. “The closest people are about twenty miles that way. I suggest we fly.”

Sam likes the sound of that but, “Won’t they see us? Won’t that cause problems?”

“You forget about magic, Sam. A simple cloaking spell, we fly pretty close to the humans, and then we land, remove the spell and walk the rest of the way.” Gabriel smiles at the ‘duh’ look that crosses Sam’s face. He must still be out of sorts from earlier whether that’s Tikva or his memories.

“Can I do it, or do you have to?” he asks, raising his arm so that the bracelet on his wrist catches the sun.

Gabriel just looks at Sam. “Are you telling me you haven’t already found a way around the blocks sufficiently that you can’t do it yourself?”

He at least has the grace to blush before vanishing right in front of Gabriel’s eyes. Gabriel follows suit and leads the way, leaving a trail of magic for Sam to follow so that he doesn’t get lost. Trying to follow an invisible person isn’t easy, but there are ways.

It’s a quick enough flight, and Gabriel tucks his wings to land among the trees in a space that humans call a campground. He hears Sam follow suit with a little thud that indicates his landing wasn’t quite so smooth. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that it takes him a little longer to drop his cloaking spell. Sure enough, his cheeks are a little red, but Gabriel doesn’t comment on the thud or the cheeks.

“This way.” He bows and gestures grandly for Sam to lead the way towards the humans, smiling when Sam takes his hand while passing him. They walk in silence for a while, Sam stopping them at a sign so that he can pick a hiking trail. Gabriel notices a few funny looks which is when he realizes that they’re still wearing tunics and sandals.

“We need to change, don’t we?” Sam asks while leading Gabe along a path that’s supposed to take an hour to walk. He’s not sure if that’ll be too long or long enough, but it’s a start. “People are looking at us funny.”

“We can change once we’re on the trail,” Gabe assures him with a hand on his shoulder. “There are enough trees to give us the privacy we need for magic, and anyone who saw us before will just assume that we’re different people who just resemble the people wearing tunics.” The human capacity to lie to oneself and convince themselves that it’s the truth will never cease to amaze him.

Sam nods, already checking the trees and the path for a bend that will give them privacy for long enough for a quick, simple spell. As soon as the chance arrives, he wills himself into what Dean tends to wear for trips to Earth, jeans and a tee shirt. He adds a sweatshirt like Gabe did for him when they visited Paloma.

Gabriel changes his own clothes to match, jeans and a tee shirt with a solid color hoodie. Based on what he saw the surrounding humans wearing, they’ll fit right in now. He keeps walking alongside Sam, willing to wait until he’s ready to talk to hear about his memories.

“Dean wasn’t the only one they planned on training to be a sex slave.” Sam doesn’t know any other way to say it, so he just says it. “I might have been young, but I guess there’s no such thing as starting too early.”

He really should have seen this coming, but he didn’t. The way Dean talked, Sam was too young for them to be interested. Apparently not. Gabriel wonders if Dean blocked it out, truly didn’t know, or wouldn’t let himself know.

“There are plenty of things you can do that are sexual without really doing anything.” Sam walks a little further, trying to figure out if it’s better or worse that he didn’t really do anything. “There’s always a demon who can find a use for you if you know who to ask.”

Another moment of silence, Sam probably taking time to gather himself to talk about this. “See, demons are good with illusions, are great at turning their slaves into something they’re not. But the real deal is prized so much more above and beyond an illusion that anyone with enough power can do.

“And one of Greed’s nobles was very, very fond of young demons.” Sam swallows, remembering the way the demon’s gaze made his skin crawl, the way he had to hide his reaction every time. “The younger the better, so he could stare at their youthful beauty.”

Gabriel feels like he’s going to be sick. Angels aren’t immune to large age gaps between couples; it’s almost inevitable with beings that live as long as they do. Look at him and Sam. However, most people wait for the younger partner to reach the age of maturity, one hundred years old, before even considering a relationship. Cassie’s relationship with Dean is not ordinary in so many ways.

For someone to sexualize a being before they even reach puberty? He knows that humans do it, and he knows that demons do it, but hearing about it first hand is worse. “I’m sorry to hear that. If I could go back and change it, I would. You don’t have to say anything else if you don’t want to.”

Initially, he wanted to stay quiet, but now that he’s started, Sam wants to finish. For all he knows, Gabe’s imagination is worse than the reality. “No, I’ll tell you. It won’t take too long to go through anyway.” Taking a deep breath, Sam begins to talk.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam is telling Gabe everything in the chapter, but a flashback is easier to read. Sam's under the age of three. If the idea of sexual acts against minors bothers you, please skip to the end of the chapter for a summary in the final notes.   
> No, I do not approve of the sexualization of minors. What happens to Sam in this chapter is unconscionable and should never happen.

Sam watches Lola walk away, not sure why she brought him here. Dean told him that he has to go away for training and that Sam would stay in his crib all day with the book Dean found for him. He’d question Lola, but he knows he probably won’t get an answer, so he just waits to see.

Several minutes later, a door opens to reveal two demons wearing nothing but gold collars around their necks. There’s a glint of something below their waists, and Sam realizes that they have gold around the base of their penis as well for some reason. That isn’t something he’s come across in any books yet.

“So this is the kid,” the demon with dark skin says. He circles Sam with a glint in his eyes that makes Sam want to run away. He stiffens his spine to stay in place, not wanting to get in trouble, risk something worse.

The other demon scoffs, sneering while looking at Sam. “I don’t see the appeal. What the fuck are you supposed to do with a baby? His dick won’t even respond properly to stimulation, not at this age!”

The first demon shrugs. “No clue, but it’s what the master wants, so we have to get him ready. It’s either him or us.”

“Touché.” The second demon kneels down in front of Sam and pulls a bottle out of nowhere. “Do you know what’s in here?”

Sam isn’t sure if he actually wants an answer, but he can’t himself. “Based on the smell, I’d say oil.”

The demon stares at him while the other one laughs his head off. “Based on the smell. Fuck, the master’s going to like this one.”

Glaring up at his friend, the other slave shakes the bottle. “Exactly, oil. And we need to get oil on every inch of your skin, your wings, your tail, and your asshole. Are you going to cooperate, or are you going to make this difficult?”

Now Sam stares. Oil on his asshole is distinctly sexual which explains the earlier comment that he’s not ready for sexual things. He thought demons couldn’t be used for sex until they reached eighteen, and he asks for clarification.

“Well…” the demon wobbles his hand back and forth, wrinkling his nose. “It’s more like they can’t be touched in a sexual manner until they reach eighteen. Sure, we’ll touch your asshole, but that’s practical, not sexual.”

“You’re just going to be on display for looks,” the other demon says, sitting on the floor next to Sam with a weird look on his face. Sam can’t quite tell what he’s feeling but knows that it isn’t entirely positive. “Per the rules, no one may touch you, but you know how demons feel about rules.”

Ah, that’s the look. Resignation mixed with memories. Sam is not the first young demon to be chosen to put on display like this, he can tell. “How long will this last?”

“As long as the master wants,” the demons tell him in unison while upending the jar of oil over their fingers so they can start oiling up Sam’s skin. “Probably won’t be much longer than six hours. Depends on if they start the orgy in the dining hall or not.”

Sam holds his arms out to the side, wings spread wide to give them access to as much skin as possible. He really, really hopes that they don’t start the orgy in the dining hall. Not only does he not want to do this any longer than he has to, he wants to be back in his room before Dean comes back. He doesn't want to know what Dean would try to do if he knew about this.

Having oil on his skin is a weird sensation, especially with his wings. He doesn’t want to close them to his back anymore, not with the way the membranes slip and slide against each other instead of resting together. His tail doesn’t mind it, whipping around, having fun with the slip and slide of oil on skin.

This is not pleasant, and Sam is looking forward to this less and less, but he knows he doesn’t have an option. Arguing could result in a serious punishment, perhaps even death. Sam won’t leave Dean alone for something as petty as this. He can stand and look sexual for a few hours no problem.

As long as no one touches him, he should be fine.

Once they oil him up, the two demons lead him through several corridors before they reach the dining hall. Sam focuses on not letting his oiled wings touch anything and keeping his tail from picking up too much dirt while flicking around. When he looks through the doors they opened, he wants to run and hide.

Dozens of demons are already staring at him in the doorway. As the two slaves pull him into the dining hall and place him up on a pedestal, Sam finally understands the phrase about feeling people’s eyes on you. He can feel every single eye on his skin, looking at his wings, his tail, his penis, and it makes his skin crawl.

He’d cover himself up if he didn’t know it’d result in a serious punishment.

Sam just focuses on Dean and that fact that he knows Dean will come up with a way to get them out of here. He doesn’t know where their lives started, his memory not that good, but he knows they haven’t always been slaves.

Even as demons, they have to have a home to return to.

At some point, his eyes close, but he doesn’t realize it until they jolt open when someone touches his ass. Laughter around the hall tells him that everyone has noticed. He wants to jerk away, especially when he feels the finger pressing on his asshole, but if it’s his master, he won’t leave this hall alive. So he stays in place and lets himself be touched.

If it was just the one time, Sam doesn’t think he’d be all that irritated. Yes, it sucked, but he could survive it happening the one time. But it doesn’t just happen once. It happens over and over, and with each time, the demons get bolder.

At first, it’s just fingers trailing along his arms and legs as they walk past him. His skin crawls, but Sam can live with the touches. Then it’s his tail, the touches creating a weird sensation in his lower stomach that builds but never seems to go anywhere.

And finally, his penis. They seem to love the fact that no matter how much they touch it, it never gets hard. He wants to yell at them that of course it won’t, he’s not old enough for that to happen. He’s not even prepubescent yet. But he can’t because he’s so focused on not throwing up because of the touches.

It might be better if he could talk to someone about it, but the only person he has down here is Dean. If he tried to talk to Lola, she’d just laugh at him. He can’t talk to Dean though because they can’t afford to have him lashing out the way Sam knows he will.

So Sam suffers in silence, running his lessons through his head, trying to create new spells in his head from the ones he already knows, anything he can find to distract himself. He learns to disassociate from his body when this happens to him, and just when he’s mastered that, they change it up on him.

The two demons, Matt and Paul, appear in Sam’s room again, but this time, they don’t have any oil. Sam’s stomach sinks without even hearing what the new task is because other than not having to do anything ever again, nothing will be good. “So, the master has a new task for you, and this one’s a little more interactive.”

“That’s why there’s no oil this time.” Paul gives him a little grimace that Sam thinks is supposed to be a smile. “It’d ruin the experience this time around.”

Sam takes a deep breath and prepares himself for the worst. At this point, he doesn’t know if researching sexual activities was a good idea or a bad idea. “What is it?”

“Living tableware,” Matt says with a weird look on his face. “I totally don’t understand the appeal of this, but that’s not up to me.”

Living tableware? That’s not something Sam came across in his research even in passing. “What exactly does that mean?”

“Well, dinner tonight is the human delicacy sushi. Little bits of raw fish and other seafood along with rice, seaweed, and assorted vegetables.” Paul kinda wishes he could be invited because he really likes seafood. But that’s when he was a free Lust demon, not the slave of one of Greed’s nobles.

“Instead of putting the bites on silverware or real platters, you and several sex slaves will lay on a table, and the sushi will be placed on your bodies.” Matt wonders just how long they can stay still under all the food and the touches.

Sam stares at the two demons, shocked and confused. Who the Hell comes up with things like this? He thought being a living statue was weird enough, now people want to eat food that’s been sitting on his body? So weird. He can only imagine that staying still is going to be impossible.

“So there’s no preparation for this?” Sam looks between the two demons sharing a look. “What is it?”

Matt feels for the kid, he really does, but it’s either him or Sam, so Matt doesn’t feel that bad. “It’s a drink. Once we get to the dining hall, early enough for set up, you sit on the table, drink the drink, then you lie down.”

“They didn’t tell us what was in the drink, just that you have to drink it.” Paul wonders if that’s because they don’t want him and Matt feeling like they have to ‘forget’ the drink or so that Sam won’t have enough information to know that he should reject the drink.

Sam knows he should not drink that liquid no matter what they tell him, but he also knows he doesn’t have a choice. That’s part of being a slave. He just nods and follows behind Matt and Paul as they head back to the damn dining room.

The liquid is sweet and goes down smoothly, and Sam lies back as soon as he hands the bottle back to Paul. He doesn’t notice anything at first, and he starts to wonder if it was more of a test than anything else. Then he realizes he can’t feel his feet, his tail, his legs, anything below the waist.

He goes to open his mouth to ask them what’s going on, but Sam can’t open his mouth. He realizes that it’s a paralytic which explains how they expect him to stay still while food rests on his body for people to eat.

It also means that he can’t do anything to protect himself if someone does something he doesn’t like. A mixed blessing and curse, unable to protect but also unable to flinch when not appropriate. Sam wonders what the rules are for this position, if they’re allowed to touch him all over given that their food rests on him, but it’s too late to ask.

Ten minutes into dinner, Sam knows that this is worse than being a statue. Although there’s no outright groping, every time they pick up a piece of food, fingers touch his skin. Tails picking up food is even worse, the skin on their tails is more sensitive which means they touch him more than their fingers do.

At least there’s no mouths picking up food off his body. A few demons have tried, but whips of fire lash out to wrap around their face, a great incentive to stay back. That must be one of the rules, and Sam is grateful that they actually enforce this one.

Eventually dinner ends, and Sam can’t wait to get up and get clean. He can still feel fingers and food on his body, and he wants it off now. Sam tries to roll off the table to his feet, surprised when it happens, wobbling only a little on the landing. Never take the ability to move for granted ever. Ever.

Matt and Paul usher him back to his room, waving their hands for a quick spell to clean him off. Sam would prefer to actually scrub and wash off, feels like he needs it to get the feeling of their fingers off his skin, but it’s better than nothing. “How often does that happen?”

The demons shrug, helping him back into his crib just like they always do. “Not too often. It’s a delicacy, so not too often. Maybe once a decade.”

“Unless you’re really popular.” Matt has a feeling that Sam will be in high demand, so he wouldn’t be surprised to see this happen again soon. Their master has a lot of other nobles he’s trying to impress at the moment, so Sam’s young body will likely be in high demand.

He pities the boy so much, but there’s nothing he can do. It’s him or Sam, and he’s not going to prioritize anyone over himself. He is a demon after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam is oiled up and told to stand on a pedestal as living art that many demons touch and fondle. Naturally young demons, not illusions, are rare and thus in high demand. Then later he's used as living dishware with sushi placed all over him. Sam's forced to drink a potion that paralyzes him so he can't fight back. It ends with Sam knowing it'll likely happen again and again.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. My dad is moving, and life is chaos right now. He's staying with me along with his tow cats, and I've got tons of his stuff all over my place. This is a serious incentive for spring cleaning every year. I never want to have this much stuff.

A small bench appears ahead of them on the path, and Sam pulls Gabe over to it, wanting to take a break. After talking about all of that, he needs a moment to rub his skin, feeling fingers and tails ghosting over him. He doesn’t realize he’s started doing that until Gabe takes his hands, stilling them.

“Careful. You don’t want to hurt yourself.” Gabriel knows exactly what he’s doing, trying to make himself feel clean again, but he shouldn’t have to hurt. He hasn’t known a lot of people who’ve been through things similar to what Sam just explained, but he’s going to do his best to help.

Sam nods, feet tapping against the ground, fingers tapping against his leg. He might have chosen sitting down, but he looks like he has too much energy for that. “I just… I don’t want to feel them on me anymore. I didn’t remember any of this, and I wish I didn’t remember it again.”

Gabriel sighs, reaching out to give Sam a hug before dropping his arm back to his side. Right now, touching Sam might not be a good idea. “I don’t really know what to say, but I can’t help but think it’ll be alright. Right now, the memories suck, but when you move past it, you refuse to let it rule you, and it’ll get better.”

He laughs, dry and short. “You make it sound so noble. Right now, I feel dirty and unworthy of being in Heaven. Not after what I did.”

“What you did?” Gabriel reaches out to take Sam’s chin, pushing his head up so that their eyes meet. “You did nothing but survive. You did what you had to do to make sure that you came back to your brother, that nothing would happen to him. That’s surviving and nothing to be ashamed of.”

Sam pulls free of Gabe’s hand but keeps looking at him. “I let people use me sexually when I was two years old. I’m not blameless, and I shouldn’t be in Heaven, not anymore. You let me in before you knew all of the facts.” No, not all angels are perfect beings, but none of them can be as tainted as he is.

Shit. This entire conversation is full of landmines, and Gabriel needs to be very, very careful with how he handles this. “Being pure is not a requirement to be in Heaven. If it was, Lucifer never could have come back no matter how apologetic he was for his actions. No matter what was done to you, you are always welcome in Heaven.”

“But I’m tainted, I chose to let them do that, and there’s no forgiving that.” Sam can’t believe that Gabe is being so casual about this.

“Would you say that Dean should be banned from Heaven?” Gabriel watches Sam’s eyes widen and knows he just asked the perfect question. “He was trained to be a sex slave far more in depth than what was done to you.”

“But he didn’t have a choice,” Sam argues, glaring at Gabriel and clearly not happy to have his brother pulled into this. “They made him do that.”

“And they didn’t make you do what you had to do?” Gabriel watches a variety of emotions cross Sam’s face too fast to identify individually. “What’s different between what was done to Dean and what was done to you?”

Sam opens and closes his mouth a few times, but nothing comes out. Gabriel doesn’t want to be rude, but he keeps talking, steamrolling over Sam a little to try and hammer his point home.

“Both of you were used and manipulated by the demons who kept you as slaves.” Gabriel doesn’t shy away from anything that might hurt Sam figuring he can soothe any injuries after getting the point across. “Neither of you is at fault for this. Neither of you has done anything to be ashamed of because surviving is nothing to be ashamed of.

“If Dean deserves to be in Heaven with Cassie, then you deserve to be in Heaven with your family as well.”

Sam stares at Gabe for a moment before throwing his arms around the angel. The pain isn’t gone just because Gabe says that he can stay in Heaven, but it feels a little less overwhelming than it did when the memories first hit him. “Are you sure?”

“I’m very sure,” Gabe tells him, hand running up and down his back. The fact that Gabe’s willing to touch him, even after hearing about what the demons did to him, means he can’t be too disgusted.

They sit there in silence, just hugging each other as Sam tries to calm down the roller coaster of emotions running through him. He pushed away the memories to deal with talking to Miri and Tikva, and now he needs a moment to himself, a moment to readjust the way he thinks about himself.

He’s not just the brainiac who researches all the time in the library. Now he’s a survivor too, like Dean is, and he really doesn’t want to let this affect his life. He’s still going to build the shelter, he’s still going to help people, and he’s still going to do it because they deserve help. He’s not going to use his past to gain sympathy, is just going to accept it and move on.

And he’s going to make sure Dean never finds out about this because he doesn’t need him going on a rampage through Hell.

After he’s hugged Gabe long enough, Sam sits back and rests his shoulder wishing they were in Heaven so that he could wrap them up in his wings. He likes that feeling, being cut off from the rest of the world, like nothing can hurt him. But the trees cutting them off from the humans around them are a pretty good substitute.

“So what happens now?” Sam asks him, looking at him out of the corner of his eyes. “We just go back to interviewing people as if this never happened, as if I never got those memories back?”

“That depends on what you want to do.” Gabriel pulls Sam in for a side hug, wanting to keep some sort of contact to reassure him that his opinion of Sam hasn’t changed. “We can try to interview Elrad, we can keep walking here, we can go back to Heaven, whatever you want, whatever makes you the most comfortable.”

Sam thinks it through as a group of humans pass in front of them. They look to be young adults, roughly the same age as Dean, and he can see the sexual tension between the boys and girls. He wonders what that’s like, being around people to interact with entirely for fun. Sure, he has his family, but there’s a difference between people you are and are not related to.

“I don’t know what I want to do,” Sam admits which is a little hard for him to do. He doesn’t really want to do another interview, but he also doesn’t want to hang out here too much longer, and he doesn’t want to go back home yet. “Can we just stay here for a moment?”

“Of course we can,” Gabriel assures him, keeping his arm around him. They can stay here as long as Sam wants. They don’t have to do anything on anyone’s schedule other than their own as they haven’t given anyone any dates for starting yet.

They sit there, just like Sam asked, and he has a thought about the next steps for moving the shelter forward. “After we hire all of the guards, we should hire the counselors.” He has a better idea of what he’s looking for now, he thinks, because when he’s talking to the counselors, he can see what type of support and help they would offer him which gives him a chance to check their procedures, the way they work and if he likes it.

“Alright.” They have two guards so far, and they’re looking for six total. If they’re very productive, they might be able to hire the other four tomorrow, but that also depends on everyone agreeing to the job. Two perhaps, three days and they’ll have all of the guards that they’re looking for.

Sam stands and stretches, a little stiff after sitting for awhile, Earth a little cooler than Heaven generally is, and he’s not used to this. He knows he can regulate his body temperature, but he isn’t all that practiced at it, so he’s not great at it yet. He’d rather just go back to Heaven. “For now, I just want to go home. I want to hear about Dean’s day, whatever Castiel did to distract him today, and I want to make dinner, and I want to have you over for dinner as well.”

Gabriel stands up, offering his hand to Sam to help him up from the bench. “Then back home we go. A short jaunt into the trees to get away from the humans, and I can zip us up to Heaven.” As an archangel, Gabriel can get into Heaven from wherever on Earth, not limited to portals the way he is in Hell.

Sam takes his hand, and it’s not long before they’re back in Heaven sanding outside Castiel’s front door. Well, it’s his front door too because this is his home no matter what has happened to him. “Come on in. I’m sure Dean already has plans for dinner, and we can help him with the cooking. Just be prepared to be yelled at.”

“Yelled at?” Gabriel asks while letting Sam lead him into the house, tugging gently on his hand. “Who’s going to yell at me?”

“I will,” Dean announces, looking at them over the kitchen bartop, “if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do to help me cook.”

Gabriel raises his eyebrow at the idea of some twenty year old yelling at him but keeps it under wraps when he sees Cassie standing behind Dean. “Fine. I will do my best to follow all of your orders. What are we making?”

“Stir fry,” Dean announces, “so you can help chop the veggies.” He points a knife at the pile on the counter, and Sam and Gabriel walk around the counter to start helping him. Even Castiel joins in to start chopping veggies, and Dean talks about their day on Earth.

“And the tigers were amazing!” Dean stops his chopping to sigh, a little smile on his lips. “I can’t wait to see them again. And Sam, you definitely have to go see the tigers too. Any big cats that you can see.”

Sam shrugs, not really interested in cats. He’d rather see fish, see something a little more different than him. Demons are close enough to being mammals, that he’s not that interested in them. Fish though, something that can breathe underwater without a spell, those are a lot more interesting. “We’ll see. We went hiking today after hiring two angels. Saw some deer.”

“Deer are boring,” Dean sneers, not at all impressed. “Sure, they’re kinda cute, but they’re really not that interesting.”

“The point was just to get away from things,” Sam tells him, not wanting to get any more into it and hoping Dean will just leave it alone. “Peaceful and not that interesting was a positive.”

Dean frowns over at his brother, wondering just what happened that Sam needed a little peace and to get away from things. He’d ask, but the white knuckles on his knife handle tell him to keep his nose out of it. Maybe Cas can explain it to him later, maybe Gabe will talk to him and explain it to him.

“Well, dinner will be ready soon, so it’s a good thing you’re all done with the chopping.” He ushers them out of the kitchen so he can finish the cooking while Sam sets the table for dinner. They can talk while they eat. At a minimum, Dean wants to hear about the two angels who will work with his brother. Hopefully Cas knows them so he can learn about them. Anyone working with his little brother better get his seal of approval because he will not risk anyone hurting his little brother.

Not even an angel.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More progress for Sammy on his shelter project!

Sam hesitates just outside the portal, not sure if he’s actually ready for this. He has a spell ready this time, one that will dull the scent of sulfur, slowly increasing the intensity so he can get used to it rather than getting all overwhelmed again. Theoretically, per his research, it should work, but he’s not sure he really wants to deal with it if it doesn’t.

“You don’t have to do it this way,” Gabe tells him, resting a hand on his shoulder. Sam feels like the angel hasn’t casually touched him any more or less than normal in the last few days, and he’s not sure how he feels about it. The touches don’t really bother him, but he feels the need to shy away, like he shouldn’t let Gabe keep touching him like this.

Maybe it’s because of his memories. On that first day, Gabe seems to think that touch would prove that he wasn’t disgusted with him. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t mind it so much. Before, he didn’t know what to do with the contact, now he doesn’t mind the physical gesture of caring. It’s nice having a positive touch to replace the memory of the demons who touched him while he was a slave.

“Yes, I do. I live in Heaven now, but there’s no guarantee that I won’t have to work in Hell, even with the shelter.” Sam takes a deep breath, looking up from the chain to smile at Gabe. “And if I can never go back, not even if I want to support my brother when he fights, then they win. So I will learn to go back.”

Honestly, there’s more strength in this one boy than there is in many, many angels. They are all required to fight in Hell, they don’t volunteer for it, and not too many of them volunteer for much once they’re down in Hell. True, Gabriel probably wouldn’t want to volunteer to do something in Hell, he barely meets his service requirements, but some could at least try to do more.

“Then let me know when you’re ready, and I will take us through the portal.” Elrad currently works in Hell along with three other angels Sigal suggested they talk to. Hopefully all four of them are willing to work with Sam at the shelter or they’re going to have to get some new names.

After a few more deep breaths of fresh air then putting the chain around his neck, Sam signals his readiness. Gabe works his magic with the portal, and three steps later, they’re in Hell. Magic built into the chain kicks in as soon as it detects sulfur, and Sam doesn’t get bowled over by the scent or memories this time.

The smell still sucks. For someone who spent the first few years of his life smelling sulfur, Sam really isn’t prepared to deal with this scent. His time in Heaven must have affected him more than he realized. To be fair, he’s spent more time in Heaven than Hell, but he’d expect to have more immunity to the scent as a born demon. Then again, maybe all demons hate the smell of sulfur as much as he does.

Gabriel watches Sam out of the corner of his eye, wanting to monitor him but not wanting to stare at him either. They won’t move forward until he’s ready to go. Not only does Gabriel not want to make him uncomfortable, Sam needs to be ready to take control of the conversation with Elrad and the others.

“Alright, let’s go.” Sam nods at Gabe and ushers for him to lead the way as he’s the one who knows where to go. He hopes that the trip is just long enough that he adjusts to the smell with the help of the magic so that he can take the chain off before entering. 

Sam’s just glad that the magic is passive so that he can still use it while wearing the bracelet Gabe made for him. Having to run a spell while working around the bracelet is too much energy while trying to interview someone.

The walk is just long enough that Sam can barely notice the smell of sulfur anymore. It’s still there; he just doesn’t register it as much anymore. Still, he takes a moment to gather himself before knocking on the door in front of him. Hopefully the angel is in because he doesn’t want to have to come back.

Elrad looks at his door, wondering who in Hell wants to visit. Generally he makes plans via notes not via knocking on doors. He stands up and approaches the door, cautious but not paranoid given that they’re in the middle of Heaven controlled Hell. So he’s more than a little surprised to see a demon wearing an angelic tunic with purple stripes. “Can I help you?”

“My name is Samuel, and I have a proposition for you, another way to serve Heaven while helping people.” He meets his eyes, not shrinking away from the clearly much older angel in front of him, and Elrad has to admit that he’s a little impressed.

“Then please, come in.” As the young demon passes him, Elrad realizes that the Archangel Gabriel is with the boy, following silently behind him. He barely sees Commander Castiel, mostly working directly with Lieutenant Sigal, so to see an archangel, to be so close to one is shocking. “What can I do for you, sir?”

Samuel takes a deep breath and launches into a concise explanation of a very complicated project. As Elrad listens, he wonders why no one has done this before. Or if they did, why the shelters didn’t last. Trying to reduce the number of victims that become victims a second time makes a lot of sense to him, although he’s sure that demons will continue to find new victims no matter how many they rescue.

“I need guards, angels to make sure that no Earthly supernatural creatures get too close,” Sam explains, pleased to see that the angels looks invested in the shelter, “and to deal with any demons not there for help.”

Demons  _ not  _ there for help? That implies that there will be demons there for help. “And what type of demons will we help?”

Sam likes the way he phrased that, ‘we help,’ but he hopes that this isn’t a deal breaker. “Not all demons are powerful enough to hurt others. Some are barely stronger than humans, and they’re as badly abused as the humans.” Now he knows that he’s strong, but talking about demons weak enough to be abused is hitting a little too close to home at the moment. “Those who want to live as humans on Earth, we’ll help them accomplish that as best we can.”

Helping demons is practically as novel as helping humans, but Elrad understands the point. If there are demons decent enough for guardian angels to fall in love with, then there must be demons worth helping. “You do realize that many of them won’t accept the offer of help, right?”

“But the offer’s there,” Sam tells him, “and that’s what matters the most.”

Elrad nods, leaning back in his chair. He’s slightly surprised that the Archangel Gabriel hasn’t said anything yet, but Samuel has done well presenting his project. “It will take a moment to adjust to helping demons, but I will do my best. There will be a learning curve for all of us who want to work with you.”

Sam’s eyes widen when he says that. “Does that mean you want to work at the shelter?”

He lets himself smile a little, appreciating the boy’s enthusiasm. “Yes, I’d like to work with you. To be honest, I’d do a lot of things to get out of Hell, but to find something with a goal as admirable as yours? I am more than willing to help you.”

When Sam looks too overwhelmed to respond, Gabriel steps in for the first time. “Thank you. That makes three of the six angels that we plan on hiring, so hopefully we’ll be settled with guards soon. We’ll put you in touch with each other, give you the address on Earth, so you can start planning how you’d like to work to guard the shelter.”

“Thank you.” The sooner they can start working on things, the better. “We’ll work to make you proud.” He certainly never thought he’d direct a statement like that to a demon, but that’s life. Always giving you twists and turns, something he really should expect with a life as long as his.

Sam sits while the two angels talk back and forth about a few others who they know in common, but they don’t spend much more time there. Out in the corridor, making sure that the door is completely closed behind him, he jumps up and down with happiness. “It’s coming together, isn’t it?” Three out of so many staff really isn’t that many, but it’s more of a start than he actually thought he’d make.

Gabriel smiles at the happiness on Sam’s face, daring to pull him in for a kiss on the forehead. When Sam only pulls away to smile back at him, doesn’t push him away, Gabriel counts it as a win. “Yes, it is all coming together. You can do this, Sam, and you are doing this.”

“So, where are the other three angels? Are they all in Hell like Elrad is?” That would make sense, given that he’s offering them an alternative to being a warrior for their service in Hell, but for all he knows, they get breaks up in Heaven or on Earth.

“They’re all in Hell too,” Gabe says, “but I can’t sense them anywhere near here. Based on my experience,” including his recent work retraining with various garrisons, “they’re not currently in this portion of Hell. Likely they’re working at the moment, off in another portion of Hell. We’ll have to wait for them to come back.”

“Any idea how long that might take?” Sam doesn’t exactly mind waiting, but he doesn’t want to waste time down here either. He’s sure he can come up with something else to do while they wait for the other angels to finish their task.

Gabe shrugs with a little grimace. “Who knows? If they’re mapping something, probably not too long. If they’re fighting, perhaps a little longer. Although if they encounter more demons than expected, then it could be a lot longer or no time at all.”

Sam just looks at him, shaking his head. “You’re no help at all, are you?” He realizes that he likes this, teasing and playing with Gabe. For whatever reason, exposing his absolute worst memories has almost made him more settled. Perhaps it’s because Gabe knows his worst now and he’s still around. He’s sure he’ll have a bad day soon enough, but he’s going to appreciate the good times while he can.

“Nope!” He gets a big smile from Gabe now, totally incorrigible. “But I can tell you that it probably won’t take too long, and we should wait in the kitchen. We can get a bite to eat, and we can talk about the shelter with other angels. They might know angels interested in various staff positions, and it never hurts to spread the word.”

“Unless we run into other angels who think like Tikva.” It’s been a few days since they met her, but Sam can’t quite shake the conversation they had, the sour feeling she left with him. “She seems worse than Bartholomew. Sure, he didn’t want angels mingling with demons, any demons in Heaven, but at least he didn’t advocate for all out demonic genocide.”

Well… Gabriel’s heard a few rumors indicating that perhaps that has changed, but he doesn’t bother saying it. No need to bring up something so negative. “Yeah, but most of them won’t be stupid enough to say that in front of me, an archangel whose brother mated a demon.” Not that he won’t monitor the thoughts of all angels coming close to them, preventing negative ones from coming too close. Sam can take it, but he shouldn’t have to. “So, kitchen?”

Sam links arms with Gabe and starts walking down the corridor although he honestly has no idea how to get to the kitchen. Gabe will find a way to correct him. “Kitchen it is. Although if we’re there for more than an hour, I’m going to find a way to make you pay. Maybe I’ll come up with some of my own lollipops.”

Gabriel laughs at the idea, and he almost hopes that they’re there for more than an hour. He’d like to see just what Sam would come up with, clever kid that he is. It’d be spectacular.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fell behind on posting, my bad. I'll try to get back to every three days again soon.

Things move forward pretty smoothly after interviewing Elrad. Sam was planning on talking to the counselors next, but he’s not quite ready for that. They hire a cook, a few cleaning staff, self defense instructors, teachers, doctors, and a few magical teachers for when any demons do choose to ask for help.

The last staff members to hire are the therapists or counselors. Sam was interested in that, but now he’s nervous. He’s nervous enough that he can’t even get out of bed. The sheets cover his head, keeping it dark and warm and soothing.

A hand rests on his head, and he jerks until he recognizes the angel in his room. Gabe isn’t going to hurt him. So he stays under the sheets, curling closer to Gabe but not moving more than that. He really doesn’t feel like getting up today.

“I’ve been down in Hell a few times over the past few weeks,” Gabe announces, hand moving from his head down to his back to rub. “We’ve been making waves, and rumors spread pretty quickly even among angels. People seem okay with the idea but don’t think you have much chance of succeeding.”

That pushes Sam out from under the sheets to look at Gabe. “What do you mean, don’t think we’ll succeed? How do they define not succeeding?” Treatment and moving forward are ephemeral things, not easily quantifiable.

Gabriel keeps his smile internal at the indignation on Sam’s face. He’s not sure if it’s because his skills are being questioned or because he doesn’t like the idea of failure, but it’s still a cute look. “General feeling was that while you might help people, it won’t make a difference overall or in the long run.”

Well… Sam sighs, dropping the sheets to his waist. “They aren’t exactly wrong. It will probably take years or decades if not longer before we really see an impact on Heaven and Hell, but that’s not the point, not at first. It’s about helping individuals, starting small so that it builds up to something that we can see.”

He fully understands that perspective, but when dealing with changes this severe, people want to see results soon. “I know that, but they don’t necessarily know that. We’ll just have to keep working through it until the results show.”

Such a positive outlook on things. Gabriel just hopes that Sam keeps that outlook as long as they work in the shelter. It’ll be interesting to see how stubborn Sam can be. “So are you ready to move forward with things, or are we taking a day off?”

Sam sighs again and starts crawling out of bed, glad that he went to bed wearing pants. “We’re moving forward.” He’d kinda like a day off, but he also wants to move things forward. Next step is to start working on construction of the shelter, filling in the large warehouse they bought, but he doesn’t want to start until he has all of the necessary staff.

“I’ll be in the kitchen.” Gabriel might be a little more touchy feely now since they went to Hell, but there are still things Sam isn’t ready for. Besides, he can whip up some pancakes for Sam to eat as they head out. At least they don’t have to visit Hell this time.

Sam appears in the kitchen soon enough, this time wearing jeans and a tee shirt rather than a tunic. The shirt is purple though, sticking with the theme of color to indicate importance. “What are you making?”

Gabriel smacks at his hand with a spatula, pointing at the stools under the bar top. “Sit. You don’t get food if you try to snitch.” Sam pouts but sits on the stool. “Blueberry pancakes if you behave. Once you eat, we can fly over to the hospitals to talk to the angels on your list.” Anna was nice enough to give them a few referrals, so they’re not going into it blind.

“We can fly?” Sam can’t really hide the fact that he’s a demon. As soon as you see his wings or his tail, you know. But flying in on his wings seems like that’ll just emphasize them in a way he’s not sure is a good idea. “Are you sure?”

“Walking is not an option,” Gabriel tells him, sliding the last pancake onto the stack and pushing the plate over to Sam. “You can either fly yourself over, or I can carry you over. It’s up to you, but someone will have to fly.”

In that case, “I can fly myself,” Sam declares. He’s not going to show up looking like he can’t take care of himself. Realistically, there are so many things he can’t do, but getting around himself is not one of them. He eats the pancakes as fast as he can, wanting to get things started and done as soon as possible. The sooner they start, the less time he has to freak out and back out.

Outside, Gabe takes the lead through the skies, Sam following him at his side. He throws in a few tricks, doing barrel rolls around Sam who just laughs at his playfulness, not joining in. Sam’s flying skills have improved greatly since he couldn’t stick a landing, but he’s not really sure that tricks are right for him.

Maybe they can find a time to take a vacation and Gabe can teach him tricks. He’s not opposed to learning, but he is very opposed to crashing just for the sake of trying to look cool. Eventually they reach their destination, putting an end to Gabe’s aerial show and focusing them on work once again.

Sam has to take a deep breath before he can walk into the hospital. He’s here to interview someone, nothing more, but he can’t help but wonder if they’ll want to ask him questions. He’s getting a little paranoid, but that’s okay. He can push past it and do this interview.

With Gabe at his back, Sam walks through the hospital, following signs for the mental health department. It’s a simple enough path, ending at a door, but opening that door is harder than he’d expect. His arm literally feels too heavy to push the door open.

For better or worse, the choice is taken out of his hands when the door opens to reveal an angel clearly not expecting to see guests. “Oh.” She blinks a few times, looking between Sam and Gabe. “Can I help you?”

Sam tries to answer her, but the words won’t come out. Gabe notices his predicament and steps up to be his voice. “We’re here to talk with Hodah about a job proposition.”

Frema raises her eyebrow but steps back so that they can enter the wing of the hospital. She remembers Hodah talking about maybe having a new job, but she doesn’t remember anything about an archangel being involved. She certainly doesn’t remember anything about a demon being involved.

“I’ll let her know that you’re here.” She bows at the two and heads to the back room Hodah uses as an office, knocking on the doorframe before leaning her head around the corner. “Your appointment is here, about the job proposal.”

Hodah looks up from her notes for the angel in her prior session, glad to hear that Samuel and Gabriel have arrived. Although she’s heard the rumors, part of her wondered if they would actually show up or if it was an elaborate prank. “Please show them in, if you would.” Frema isn’t her secretary, but Hodah really wants to wrap up these notes before moving on to the next thing in her day.

There’s a bit of silence, and then Hodah looks up to see an archangel and a young demon in her office. She gestures for them to sit across from her, starting to talk as they sit, wanting to be the first to speak. “I assume this is related to the shelter that everyone keeps talking about.”

No surprise that the rumors have spread this far in Heaven already. “Correct. We are trying to help the survivors rescued during angelic raids on Hell. Part of that means addressing their mental health, and we were hoping that you’d work with us to address that aspect of their recovery and support.” She looks formal and upright, so Sam feels the need to use bigger words, be less casual.

“Why not a human therapist?” Hodah leans back in her seat trying to soften the mood in the room. The boy holds himself so stiff he looks like he’d shatter if she just breathed on him. “The majority of the people you will help are human after all.”

“True,” Sam admits, relaxing just a little when she does, tail dropping into his lap from hugging his waist so tight. “But if the majority of the staff is angels, having just two or three humans on the staff might be challenging. Finding a human who knows enough about angels to work with them could take longer than we have.

“And I’m hoping that angels will be seen as a positive thing, something so different than the demons they were dealing with that they trust you. Once they get past the shock that angels are real,” Sam admits. If demons are real, it’s not a stretch to imagine that angels are real as well, but when you’re in Hell, you might not have the chance to make that mental leap.

Well thought out. Hodah studies the boy across from her while tapping into her personal abilities. For a demon, his essence is remarkably clear, even factoring in the trauma that appears externally inflicted upon him. 

It shows up as little shadows, like bruises, all over his skin, closest around his crotch and chest in ways that make her skin crawl. She wants to ask him if that trauma influenced his decision to operate the shelter, but it’s a little soon for that.

“Will you open your doors to demons and angels as well? Not everyone rescued from Hell is a human.” Has he really thought this through, does he really know what he’s getting himself into?

“I doubt that demons will want much help at first, but they will be welcome if they decide to accept our help.” Sam makes sure to meet her eyes while saying this, refusing to back down about the demons. He wants to help everyone. “To be honest, I assumed most angels would seek help in Heaven, but if they want to come to us, we’ll offer them help as well.”

Some of their programs might have to be altered to address angels, but they can do it. Honestly, most of their programs will change and adjust once they start applying them. He planned what he created in a theoretical setting. A practical setting is very different.

Good. Hodah knows she’s in a bit of a minority of angels, not minding demons at all, not just tolerating them or hating them. “Are you planning on hiring any other therapists, or am I the only one?” To start, she will likely be able to handle it herself as they won’t likely have too many people then, but if they’re as successful as Samuel probably hopes, she won’t be able to manage on her own.

“Anna provided us with two others who may be interested,” Sam tells her, “but I can’t guarantee they say yes. The goal is to have more than one even if it takes some time.” He’ll start moving forward with building even if only Hodah is on board, just to get things moving. They probably won’t need more than one to start.

“Then I would be honored to work with you helping survivors of the angelic raids.” She notices he calls them survivors, not victims, and Hodah can’t help but wonder if that’s a side effect of his own experiences.

“Thank you.” Sam stands up to bow to her, Gabe bowing in unison with him. “I appreciate your support. Like the rest of my staff, I look forward to input from you regarding what you need to be successful. We will start building shortly, and I want to make sure we take everything into consideration.”

Funding, staff, a building, realistic plans. He is a very well put together young demon, one she would assume was far older if Hodah didn’t know any better. “Then I will make sure to get those plans to you shortly.” Although unsure of the veracity of the offer, that didn’t stop Hodah from putting together some basic plans in case it was legitimate. Better safe than sorry.

Sam smiles, truly relaxed for the first time. Not only does she want to work with them, she’s not pushing him to talk. Brief research into angelic therapists and counselors indicated that they often have the ability to see trauma on others, and he didn’t want her to ask about it. Right now, he doesn’t want anyone other than Gabe to know. “Really, thank you.”

“Of course.” Hodah smiles back at him and offers a hand to shake. If she will work for him, he shouldn’t bow to her regardless of age and rank. “I will reach out to Gabriel with my plans to deliver them to you.” They might not have spoken during the meeting, but Hodah was more than aware of his presence in the room. Ignoring an archangel is nearly impossible.

“And I will make sure to pass them along.” Gabriel is ready to leave, not only to talk to the other therapists but also to prevent Hodah from questioning Sam personally. She hasn’t so far, but he doesn’t fully trust her to stay quiet.

Hodah raises an eyebrow at him as if she knows the reason behind his speed but doesn’t say anything about it. “Until next time.”

Sam waves with another smile and heads for the door, Gabriel close behind him. One down, two to go.


	31. Chapter 31

Paimon looks at the demons around him wondering what the Hell is going on. He’s been working to build his power the way Greed and Envy have taught him, but it’s not happening the way he expected. Sure, he has more power than he used to, but that’s because he’s a Sin now, can pull on the power of an entire line, but he hasn’t grown measurably stronger since he first became Wrath.

“Damn it!” He smacks the bowl sitting on the arm of his throne, ignoring the metal clatter as it hits the tiled floor. No basic rock floor in his throne room. Paimon looks over at Jacob, a younger demon but one who has already proved himself. “Why isn’t it working?”

“I can’t be sure, Your Majesty,” Jacob tells him even though he knows it’s not the answer he wants. “Perhaps this is a test, something the others want you to figure out instead of being told.” They might be using his power, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to give their competitor the key to greater power.

Paimon sneers at the mention of the other Sins, their mark itching on his back. “I wouldn’t put it past them. They barely teach me anymore than the bare minimum. I need a researcher.” He’s a Sin now which means he can delegate that sort of shit off to others now.

Jacob thinks through the slaves he has met since moving up in power for Wrath. Some of them might enjoy research, but they need an incentive beyond their lives to do research well. “Perhaps we could offer a slave a chance to live here, improve their living situation in return for research to assist you to faster build your skills.”

He shrinks back slightly from the glare leveled on him by the Sin. “And why would I offer something to a slave to make them work for me the way they’re supposed to?”

Shit, Jacob should have led with that instead of ended with that. “Because if they’re doing the research, either you incentivize them not to lie or you have to double and triple check all of the magic they give you.” The ‘which defeats the point of delegating’ goes unsaid.

Damn it. Sometimes Paimon wonders if this is really worth it or if he’d have been better off supporting the new Sin instead of being the new Sin. “Fine. I want Pride slaves to do the research, they’ll be focused on proving that their research is best. Get them new rooms near the library, but don’t make them too fancy.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Jacob bows and lets himself out of the throne room before he can put his foot in his mouth again. He’d like to stay alive, thank you very much. Now he just hopes they actually have Pride demons in the slave pens.

Paimon paces the throne room trying to figure out what to do while waiting for Jacob and the slaves to come up with some results for him. He’s been waiting, trying to build up his power before making any moves, but he doesn’t feel like waiting anymore. Fuck this shit, he’s going to find a way to trump Greed and Envy, the assholes.

It’s time to assemble the nobles, at least those loyal to him. He sends out messages to his nobles, mostly the Dukes and Earls as they have the next highest power levels. Paimon lounges in his throne, making sure he looks relaxed and unconcerned. No matter how he really feels, his nobles must not see any weakness in him.

If they decided to try and replace him, he might not be able to stop them alone, not yet.

His nobles arrive promptly, arranging themselves around the throne room, all eyes on him. Paimon waits until they’re all there before standing up to address them. “I’ve had enough of Abbadon’s pissant supporters trying to supplant me. She might have been here for the longest time, but I am the Sin now.”

A low rumble moves through the room as the nobles show their disgust with the situation. They’ve been pushing Abaddon supporters away ever since Paimon took over, and they’re glad their Majesty is ready to make a move on them. He’s had time to build up his power, and now it’s time to wield it. Those unloyal bastards don’t stand a chance

Pithius steps up, wanting to make sure Paimon knows that he’s excessively loyal to the cause, wants to put his name out there in a good way. “And what type of war are we going to wage? An all out attack, or something a little more guerilla style?” As long as there’s blood and he can gut traitors, he doesn’t really care how, but he needs to know how to plan.

“While I’d love to go all out,” Paimon admits with a sneer, “we’ll be attacking their holdings, and we can’t afford to batter ourselves to death against their defenses. So we’ll go guerilla on them.” Pissed at the need for this, the reminder that not everyone supports him, Paimon starts to pace.

Smiling at the idea, Pithius starts planning all the lovely spells he can use to sneak in and attack. This is going to be fun. Rahab has a lovely natural pool in her ring near her mansion, and he would love to have that himself. Fuck that bitch.

“And you trust us to plan our own attacks?” Furfur supports Paimon mostly because he hates Abaddon and the restrictions she placed on his life. If Paimon lets him have even more free reign, he’s going to take it, but he’ll lose respect for his Majesty. Whatever’s best for him.

“Not exactly.” Paimon knows when he’s being tested, moving to pace among his nobles instead of along the dais. Since he became Wrath, he’s gotten pretty good at reading people’s loyalties, and Furfur’s isn’t that strong. Just another power hungry ass who’ll be put in his place if necessary.

Soon.

“You know your people better than I do because you’re with them all the time.” Paimon knows better than to lie in front of a bunch of demons. Paimon flicks out his sword, putting it just above Furfur’s adam’s apple, letting his irritation bleed through to his actions. “However, just because you think you’re good at planning doesn’t mean you are. All plans will be run past me, understood?”

He doesn’t like the idea of that, having to be double checked by his Sin, but Furfur knows that it’s part of the transition from an old Sin to a new Sin. Everyone has to prove themselves as capable, not just loyal. That, and he has a sword a his neck. He’d bat it away, but he’d lose to his Sin. “Understood.” The rest of the nobles mutter their agreement as well, murmurs filling the room until Paimon sits himself on his throne again, sword at his side.

“You all know who lives closest to you, so figure out a plan and bring it to me as soon as you’re ready,” Paimon orders. “You will all lead your own attacks, and I will join you once you’ve proven yourself. The demons you manage to subdue, they will become yours.”

Although all demons in a line belong to the Sin, can be manipulated by the Sin, the nobles have quite a bit of control as well. The more demons reporting to a specific noble, the more power the noble controls. Turning that power against the Sin is nearly impossible as it’s all the same power and the Sin still outranks the noble.

To offer them more demons to control is a serious incentive to work hard on their plans. Furfur is impressed by the thought process, making the nobles work for him. If the nobles can control the demons under them, keep them in place, the power is better structured for the Sin to manipulate.

Crafty bastard.

Paimon watches as the nobles head out, praying that he’s controlled the situation properly. Finding the balance between maintaining control over them without stifling them and making them turn against him won’t be easy. After that minefield, Paimon needs a break, so he heads for the harem leftover from Abaddon’s days in command.

\----------

Jacob found a few Pride demons in the slave pens, but only one of them is a researcher. He was just strong enough to work directly with a Baron, so he had a decent amount of freedom which allowed him to cultivate his interest in research.

Problem is, they’re going to need at least one more researcher so that at least someone is checking the research and results. If he can’t find Pride demons, he has to figure out which line will be the next best. Perhaps Greed, a need for knowledge. Envy would probably focus too much on the accomplishments of others than what they can figure out themselves.

So back into the slave pens. Jacob wanders around, tail lashing out with frustration, checking the various lines of all the slaves. All nobles can tell which line a demon belongs to, but his ability is enhanced, their Sin practically stamped on their forehead. It makes managing the slaves so much easier.

A pretty woman with bright blue hair catches his eye because who is he to ignore a nice pair of tits? His first assumption is Lust because of her form, but as he approaches, he realizes it’s a natural beauty without trying to pull people in. She turns to look in his general direction, eyes lingering on the various Wrath demons patrolling the pens, and Jacob recognizes the Greed in her gaze. Perfect.

“You look bored in here.” She jerks to look at him where he leans against the pen walls. “What would you do to get out of here?”

Maggie studies the demon next to her trying to determine his power level. She’s a little hungry and weak, so she can’t tell specifically, be she knows he’s at least a baron. “Quite a bit but not literally anything.” She’s used that against plenty of demons in her time, so she know better than to say that.

“Would you do research?” Jacob asks, keeping his eyes on her face to catch all of her expressions. If he lets out a demon who uses the freedom to attack Wrath, it’ll be his head along with the slave’s.

Research? Maggie wonders what the Hell the catch is but can’t figure it out fast enough before he’ll want an answer. “Sure. I’m always greedy for more information.” She smirks at the pun, slightly gratified when he smirks back. “What am I researching?”

“You’ll find out when you commit to it.” Jacob raises an eyebrow, giving her a chance to think it over again. When she appears to be thinking a little too long, he adds some incentive. “You’d need a room near the library, of course, so you have ready access to do research all day.”

A room outside of the pens, shared with fewer demons than the twenty nine in her pen? Fuck the research topic, she’d look into the mating habits of cockroaches for a chance to get out of the pens. “Sounds like a plan. I can look into whatever you want me to.”

“Good.” Jacob waves his hand to manipulate the locking magic, letting her out of the pen and only her. As soon as she’s clear, he snaps a bracelet on her wrist to keep the majority of her magic leashed. Her instincts are still there, the greed for things, but she can’t do much more magic than wanting a book to come down from the top shelves of the library.

As they leave the pens, the woman asking questions about her new room, Jacob notices more than a few envious looks. He can use that, envy of a nicer room incentivizing demons to research accurately and for a long time. Demons are so damn easy to manipulate when you know what they are and what you’re doing.

For now though, he’ll start with two researchers and see how Pride and Greed work together. No point in giving too much information to too many demons, to more demons than necessary. Envy could be the perfect thing to make them move forward even faster, but it could also bring them to a halt, too focused on each other to focus on the research.

Maggie walks next to the Wrath demons wondering just what the Hell she just agreed to. Sure, getting out of the pens is nice, and she really wants a nicer room, but having Wrath’s attention on her might not end well for her. She might be getting a better room out of this, but as she thinks it through a little more, she’s really regretting her decision. Standing out is not a good thing for a slave to do.

As they stop outside a small room, Maggie admits that it’s too late to change anything. Well, unless she wants to die. She takes a deep breath, not meeting the other demon’s eyes. She can totally do this. Books, prepare to be hit.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam needs some time, and Pithius is getting busy, so we'll be down in Hell for a bit. At least he isn't currently planning on attacking the angels.

Pithius takes a portal back to his portion of Wrath, walking straight past his little sex pets and heading for the barracks. Wrath has always been topsy turvy, emotions running a little high leading to attacks in moments, so every Wrath demon keeps a decently large standing army.

As he gets closer, the sound of metal on metal increases, and Pithius stops to look over a balcony to watch his troops train. They wash off the rocks at the end of every day, blood and gore washing down the drains, and he doesn’t see too much blood on the rocks today which is good for his plans. Less blood means better defense.

To be fair, it could mean shitty offense, but Pithius doesn’t want to get his temper up, so he doesn’t consider that. 

“Adam!” Pithius keeps watching while calling for the Head Commander of his army. He hears a little scuffle before he can see the demon saluting him out of the corner of his eye. “We’ve been given permission to attack Rahab via guerilla tactics, and we need a plan.”

Adam lets a grin grow across his face at the idea of attacking Rahab. The bitch’s demons have been crossing territorial lines recently, stealing equipment from his warehouses, and he would love to pay her back. “How soon?”

“As soon as we articulate something that Wrath can approve.” Pithius turns to face Adam so they can start planning things. “You know the best places to sneak into her territory, correct?”

“I’ve been mapping where her demons come from, so yes. If she’s smart, there are defenses at the other end of those entrances, but we can manage them.” Adam has been working to imbue their weapons with magic ever since Abaddon fell because he knew this was coming.

“Good. I want small teams, no more than eight, preferably smaller, like four. Destruction is the goal, not pillaging,” Pithius decides, registering the grimace on Adam’s face. “Yes, the men might want things, but when we take over, we get her demons. If the soldiers wait, if they come back alive, we’ll siphon some of the slaves’ power into the soldiers.”

That’s a Hell of an offer. Adam would love to have another demon or two to bolster his power, especially with the additional spells he’s planning to increase their defenses. Granted, he probably won’t get a whole demon to himself, let alone two, but a demon can dream. “I’ll make sure they know.”

“Good. Another incentive to do this properly. Once we’ve weakened her enough, we’ll launch an all out attack with the support of Wrath.” Adam stops walking to stare at Pithius, shocked to hear that. Abaddon never supported their attacks, only fought with them when she initiated the attack, and Adam doesn’t know how he feels about this.

“He trusts us enough to fight with us?” Even after a few years, Wrath’s position isn’t completely solid, and he’d have to keep an eye out for a knife in the back the entire time.

“More like it’s a way for him to show trust and us to show loyalty.” Pithius fully expects Wrath to show up to fight with a guard to both fight Rahab’s forces as well as watch his back. “Still early days.”

It is, but Adam’s happy to see things moving forward. Time to clean house. Abaddon did nothing the last few centuries to expand Wrath’s territory, and he’s looking forward to a chance to do that. “As long as I get to fight, I really don’t care if he’s there or not.” Adam really only needs Pithius to know what he’s doing because he’s the one who pays him.

“How long before you could get a plan together?” Pithius wants to have something for Wrath before everyone else, wants to make sure his name is out there. Every Sin has top advisers, and Wrath hasn’t settled on his yet. Pithius wants to move up in the world, and this is how he’ll do it.

“Hours. Rahab is well defended, and guerilla attacks are the only way in. We’ve known that for decades, so we’ve always planned that way,” Adam explains, turning around to usher the Duke back to headquarters. He trains demons, and the strategist David operates out of Headquarters. They’ll work there to finalize the plan there.

Pithius smiles on the inside, glad to see he hired the correct people to run his territory. He’s more than willing to be more involved, but being a Duke requires a certain amount of delegating, especially if he’s going to work with Wrath more directly. Or so he hopes.

David looks up from the scrolls taken from angels a few decades ago, only finally able to use them now. He wanted to years ago, but they were a little too focused on defending themselves from the angels probing to find Wrath’s weaknesses. Ready to chew out the demon interrupting him, David shifts to stand and salute his Duke. “Sir!”

“At ease,” Pithius tells him, relaxing down into a seat at the same table with the tomes on them. He recognizes the Enochian writing, impressed that his demons managed to get their hands on them. “I hear you have plans for attacking Rahab?”

Seriously? David’s been ready to attack the bitch since she threw him out of her territory three hundred sixty four years ago. “How are we doing this? All out attack or a little more subtle?”

“Wrath wants subtle to start, once we weaken her enough for him, we can go all out.” David lets his happiness shine as he gets up to start pulling out the books with all of his plans written over centuries. Right now, he’s happy, but when the fight starts, he’ll pull out all those old memories and rain wrath down on the bitch.

Rahab doesn't stand a chance.

On the other side of Wrath’s territory, Maggie stares at the Pride demon she has to work with, Johnny. He looks like an idiot, but he’s been boasting about his brains non stop ever since she arrived. Problem is, she can’t tell if it’s honest and accurate or just pride.

“And you?” he asks, apparently finished with his credentials. “How much research have you done?”

“None.” Maggie gets up, ignoring the outraged gasp from behind her. “I’m always looking for more knowledge though.” Her eyes and fingers trail along the spines of the books, many written in languages she doesn’t recognize. That could be an issue.

“But if you don’t know how to research,” Johnny says, hopping up to follow behind her, “then you won’t be effective!”

She turns to look at him, laughing when he cringes away from her. “You might let your pride think that you’re the best, but I’m plenty greedy and know exactly how to use that.” For example, that bed, an actual bed with an actual mattress, is hers now, and no one will take it away from her.

“Fine.” Johnny sniffs but doesn’t bother pushing her lack of skill any longer. “You can start by using that greed to get the books we’ll need for this. Follow me.”

Maggie raises an eyebrow at him, not entirely sure why he thinks he can get away with ordering her around but not really wanting to question it. For now, for the ease of handling things, she’ll go along with it. She can always get rid of him later if he becomes a problem.

She lasts about an hour into her goal of the entire day before she focuses more on creative ways to kill Johnny than on the research. While picking his precious books, she noticed a few that might help her goal of getting the fuck out of here, but he’s not busy or focused enough yet to risk grabbing them.

“Maggie!” She looks up when he yells her name to see him staring at her, hands on his hips. “I might be the smart one here, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do all of the work. Grab a book and start reading. We need to find ways for a Sin to pull power from his line to him faster, preferably without permanently damaging his line.”

Wrath needs power? That’s news to her. Coming from Greed after seducing an adviser to Mammon with loose lips, she knows that Wrath’s power is somewhat bound by Greed and Envy. Perhaps without that restriction he’d be able to build power faster. If the other Sins are smart, they’re siphoning some of his power for themselves.

Not that she’s going to let Johnny know about that. Instead, she just grabs a book and scans the table of contents, trying to figure out if it’s worth moving past that page. A few chapters seem to have potential, so she grabs a sheaf of paper and a pen, thank Lucifer for human inventions, and starts reading and taking notes.

And if she just happens to come across something to help remove a bind on a Sin, well, she’ll just keep that to herself until she has something they can use.

A few hours later, Jacob checks on the library, praying that the two demons he picked will actually be able to work together instead of killing each other. A simple cloaking spell keeps him hidden as he watches, not wanting to deal with Johnny’s bowing and scraping. It’s not like that’ll win him any favors.

Other than the occasional death glare Maggie sends Johnny, things look to be moving smoothly. There might not be as many notes as he was hoping to see, but he knows research can move glacially slow. Perhaps he should just focus on the fact that they’re already found books related to the issue. It’ll be something positive to tell Wrath in case he wants an update before it’s time for an official report.

This is good. Jacob leaves, shifting gears to go talk to the soldiers. They aren’t essential to the upcoming battles as the nobles will soften up the enemy well before Wrath arrives, but they still need to know their duties. In the middle of the chaos of battle, they need to make sure no one attacks Wrath from any side.

Pithius is loyal. Anyone could tell that he’d do just about anything to get in Wrath’s good graces, probably angling for an advisor’s position. Furfur on the other hand looks like his loyalty might be a little more conditional to what’s in it for him. Makes sense, but it’s just another thing Jacob has to plan for.

He waves off the guards, letting himself into the barracks. He spent centuries here and still knows how to get around. Besides, it’s hard to miss the one really nice building in the middle of the spartan ones. Wrath’s personal guard ranks nicer accomodations to help maintain their loyalty. No point in skimping on a room when dealing with those essential to Wrath’s protection.

Luna waves at Jacob, greeting him with a kiss. They haven’t been lovers in decades, but he always was a good kisser. “What can I do for you?”

“I need you to change a few units to ready status.” Jacob follows her into the facility as he explains the upcoming battles when Wrath will need protection. “I don’t want too many fighters, don’t want to look too suspicious, but we need enough to keep him alive.”

“You do realize that Paimon was a warrior before becoming Wrath, right?” Luna was never in command of him, but she fought alongside him multiple times. “He’s more than capable of defending himself, but I know what you mean. Eight men will be good, a standard unit without being too large.”

“Sounds good.” Jacob really should have known that Wrath used to be a warrior, but somehow he missed that. He deals with Earth more than Hell, so perhaps that’s why. “Not sure when we’ll actually need them, but it’ll likely be soon. He pulled the trigger on putting down Abaddon’s supporters.”

“About time.” Luna shifted away from actively fighting only a few years ago, but that doesn’t mean she doesn't know the way things normally go. Most new Sins try to put their opponents down within the first year or so, and she wondered what Wrath was thinking, but it’s not her place to question things.

Better late than never though.


	33. Chapter 33

Paimon opens his eyes with a sigh, pissed. Pulling on the power of his line should be easier than this by now. He’s had years to figure it out, but he still struggles to pull it from the weakest demon possible. Hell, he ripped the demon’s tongue out for laughing at him, and injured and unable to do magic, Paimon still struggles to pull his power.

A quick swing of his sword, and its head bounces across the tile floor. Once dead, pulling his power becomes simple, and Paimon absorbs it all, needing it all. A part of its essence lingers though, and Paimon bends over the body to see it anchored just below where the sternum ends.

Perhaps that’s it. Instead of just pulling in general he should focus on the spot below the breastbone. Before, when he was weaker, skin to skin contact was necessary to pull power from a demon, especially a demon from another line, and it gave him an anchor. Without that skin to skin contact, he’s floundered, and this might just be what he needed.

A press of the button on the side of his throne has a door opening and another slave pushed into the throne room. A really, really small part of him feels bad for the demon, seeing one of his kind fall so low, but then he remembers better them than him, and he doesn’t feel so bad anymore.

The demon runs around the room as if it can find an escape, as if the whole room hasn’t been warded against that. Paimon just watches, letting it wear itself out, making his task easier. Just because he thinks he knows what to do now doesn’t mean he won’t take every advantage he can get.

When the demon finally collapses in the middle of the room, Paimon pounces. Metaphorically speaking. Pushing at that one spot, Paimon feels some resistance, but he keeps pushing until he feels a popping sensation.

Moments after the pop, Paimon feels a small rush of power that indicates he did it. It’s not a lot of power, the slave far too weak for much, but Paimon manages to pull it all to him. Once the connection breaks, the slave slumps over on the floor, eyes empty, heart still.

“I did it.” Paimon stands up and walks over to the body, knowing it but needing to confirm it. It seems too good to be true after years of struggling. His fingers press against the demon’s neck and feel nothing.

“Finally.” He can’t believe Greed and Envy wouldn’t tell him something so basic. Just because technically they’re his enemies, they can also benefit from his strength, so it might have been in their best interest to tell him.

Moving forward now that he knows how to take power should be simple. He just hopes the slaves find info on ways for him to pull from stronger demons and from large numbers of demons as a whole. This is a forceful removal of power, and he can’t afford to do that to his nobles. No one gives a shit about the slaves.

Paimon indicates that he’s ready for another slave, hitting the button twice to see if he can manage two at once. Two women stumble in, holding hands, tears streaking their faces. When they see the dead bodies, they start wailing, sinking to the floor and clutching at each other.

“Seriously?” Paimon walks over to them and looks down with disgust. “You’re demons. Pull yourselves together.”

“You’re a Sin,” one of them wails, not looking up at him. “What are we supposed to do?”

“Have some dignity.” Pissed at their weakness, Paimon reaches out and yanks at their magic. His magic wraps around their’s, and both women scream before slumping to the ground as lifeless as the other slaves in the room. It’s a little easier this time, even with two demons, probably because he was pissed. He’s going to have to get pissed a little more often.

Paimon heads back to his chair and takes a seat, the magic he took from the demons barely noticeable at this point. A drop in the barrel from demons barely strong enough to be demons instead of humans. Now that he understands the process, he should be able to replicate it.

Problem is, he can’t afford to start plowing through his demons. Yes, they’re a renewable resource through birth, human souls, and raw creation, but those all take time and/or energy. Perhaps he can work to pull it from demons without keeping it, letting them retain their energy so that he can pull it from them over and over again.

That would suck, but he wouldn’t be the one in pain, so he doesn’t really care. As members of his line, they are here to serve him. Anything he lets them do for themselves is per his benevolence.

Paimon reaches out but can’t sense Jacob anywhere near him. Either he shows up soon, or Paimon’s going to make sure he gets an assistant who knows everything Jacob knows. That or can communicate with him in seconds no matter where he is in Hell. He has a task for him, and sending his second in command to deliver a message should help make sure it works the way he wants it to work.

And either Jacob can read minds or just has perfect timing because he walks into the room seconds later. “I was checking on the research for you. They don’t appear to have made much progress, but they’re working together. Don’t have to worry about them killing each other.”

“That’s good.” Paimon isn’t the biggest fan of mixing different lines together, but if it’s working, then it’s working. He won’t say no to progress. “I have another task for you.”

Jacob likes being important, likes having access to the man in charge, but sometimes he hates his job. “What can I do for you?” Based on the bodies lying around, he’s about to be on cleanup duty.

“I want the nobles who were last to join our cause to send me twenty demons each.” There were several Dukes waiting to see if Paimon could hold onto power, waiting several years before officially declaring their support for the new Wrath.

Well, that’s better than clean up duty. 

It’s really not his place to ask, but… “Alright. And if they ask why?” For example, they’re probably going to want to know if they’re going to get those demons back.

Paimon considers it since his nobles should respond and obey without question, but he also knows that he’s new which means perhaps there should be some wiggle room. “I need some practice pulling magic from the demons in my line. Assumed they’d rather offer up some demons rather than themselves.”

Jacob nods, fully understanding that but also wondering how much longer they’ll need research since it sounds like Wrath figure it out. Then again, if he’s pulling from weaker demons, not from the top down, he’s still got a ways to go. “Oh, and I want at least two Earls.” Jacob keeps nodding even as he wants to stab Wrath. If they shoot the messenger, he’s going to be pissed, even if he lives.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Jacob bows low, taking an opportunity to let his emotions show on his face before schooling his expression and standing up again.

Paimon can tell Jacob’s not happy about this, and he doesn’t blame him one bit. “Here’s a list of the nobles to talk to.” Jacob doesn’t have to do all of the work. Paimon will help a little.

Jacob bows again before letting himself out. Fucker. Paimon’s always been one to delegate, but sometimes he delegates in a way that makes them feel small and unimportant. To be fair, their self esteem is not his concern, but he’ll keep more people on his staff without becoming ‘yes men’ if he’s a little nicer.

And a Sin surrounded by yes men will not last too long.

As Jacob heads out of the room, Paimon leaves by another door to head back to his personal rooms. He needs to prepare for nobles coming to him for approval of battle plans. Given his enthusiasm Pithius clearly wants to attack as soon as possible. He saw the same emotion on other faces and wants to be ready.

When he walks into his bedroom, Paimon stops and stares. Two female demons moan and groan on his bed, hips grinding up against each other, fingers playing in and out of cunts. As he watches, waiting to see how long it’ll take them to notice that he’s here, he wonders just how often they do this.

“Yes, yes, Jenna!” The blonde on the bottom arches up off the bed, mauling her tits, pinching and pulling her nipples.

Bored after fifteen minutes, Paimon can’t help himself, getting madder and madder with every step towards the bed. “Yes, yes, Jenna,” he mocks, anger not dissipating when the women jerk up and scramble off the bed, falling to their knees. “Yes, let’s spoil our Majesty’s bed when we should be working, not fucking.”

“Please, Your Majesty,” the blonde begs, blinking up at him through tear burdened lashes. “We were merely preparing ourselves for when you’d return.”

“Oh?” It’s a nice try, Paimon’ll give her that, but, “Even though I wasn’t scheduled to return for hours? You’d stay waiting, ready, for that long?”

Jenna glares over at Michelle. She just had to open her damn mouth and dig the hole deeper. “If that’s what was necessary, then yes.” At this point, she’ll try anything to stay alive even if it means stretching things a little to match the shit Michelle spewed.

“Next time, ask.” Not that there’ll be a next time. These are his personal rooms, and no one should be back here without his permission. Pissed beyond belief, Paimon reaches for their magic and pulls.

Both women scream, and Jenna knows it’s over when she sees the glow in Wrath’s eyes. It’s not as intense as what she saw before, but she recognizes the glow when the Sin takes over the demon. Abaddon razed the village she lived in over a hundred years ago, but she’ll never forget that look. And now, it’ll be the last thing she ever sees.

Paimon looks down at the bodies, righteous indignation still running through his veins at the way they thought they could do as they pleased in his rooms. Bending down, he grabs them by their hair, dragging them out. He hangs them by their hair out in a central space, one every demon who works near him walks past.

The sign below them reads ‘For displeasing their Majesty.’ Any one who sees this should learn from the message. Paimon doesn’t want to go on a killing streak, but he isn’t going to let low ranking demons disrespect him like that.

Back in his rooms, he flips through his clothes, looking for something to wear. He needs to be formal and impressive without looking like he’s trying too hard. A classic suit will have to do. Black, single breasted, nice deep red tie. He checks himself in the mirror and can’t see anything out of place, so he heads to the throne room.

Although he expects various nobles to jump on the chance to attack, he’s not actually sure how long it will take to assemble plans. Some of them are sure to have plans already in place that just need polishing, but others probably need a little time to formulate a full plan. He was a warrior, not a strategist, so he has no idea the timing of that.

After about an hour, Paimon is bored stiff. There’s only so many times he can trace the cracks in the ceiling before going insane. He summons a slave and looks at the weak thing cowering in front of him as soon as it arrives. Paimon finally figured out that new skill today, so he might as well start mastering it.

Much better use of his time than staring at the ceiling.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time, no post, at least it feels. I've been trying to post every three days, but it's not happening. Long story short, this year just isn't my year, and as much as I'm writing and like posting, it's not really happening on schedule. From now on, I'll post two chapters a week. They might be back to back, like today, and they might be spread out a few days apart. I'm not stopping, just changing when chapters post. Thanks for sticking through it with me.

Sam stares up at the warehouse, five angels behind him, all of them dressed as humans. He still feels like they stick out like a sore thumb in the Brazilian streets, but that might just be because they’re new to the area. Paloma said she’d stop by at some point, but she’s not here yet. They’re going to have to ask her for some tips to blend in.

“This is it?” Enoch moves closer to the warehouse, impressed by the size compared to the buildings around it. Compared to buildings in Heaven though, it’s definitely not impressive.

“This is it,” Sam tells him, excitement building as he starts bouncing on his toes. “It doesn’t look like much from outside, but it’s pretty big inside. Lots of space, but that isn’t even the best part.”

Enoch looks at the boy practically vibrating out of his skin. “What is the best part?”

Sam grins up at the angel before heading for the front door. “Ley lines.” He waves his hand to release the lock and pushes his way into the warehouse. His footsteps echo across the floor until he unfurls his wings to launch himself into the air, doing a few circles before landing on one of the exposed beams.

“Obviously this is not enough space for us to operate here,” Gabriel continues, ushering the angels into the warehouse, “but the building sits above a node of ley lines. This is raw power generally used for human magic, but we can use it as well.”

“So we can build what we can in this space,” Sam picks up the conversation still up on the beam, “and then we’ll use magic to expand the space as well and continue with magic to build up those spaces. I want this space to have physical materials, no magic involved at all, so that there’s something for any humans who stumble in.”

“This isn’t the best neighborhood, and although you are here to protect the space, we want to appear as human as possible, not raise too many suspicions.” Gabriel creates a chair out of nothing so he has something to sit on as they talk. “If we alter too many memories, people will start to realize that no one knows anything about us, and that’s attention we don’t want.”

The guardians nod, eyes still roaming around the building as they slowly spread out to check it out. There are several entrances into the building, a few rather large ones that Gabriel thinks are for trucks bringing in supplies. That might be something they look into using for form’s sake down the road.

Sam waits for them to slow down, to look a little less interested in exploring before speaking up again. “Gabe and I worked with a human witch, Paloma, to find this place. She’ll be by at some point to introduce herself.”

Elrad looks around the space again, trying to picture what it’ll look like with walls and ceilings and rooms. “Will we work with her often?” He has nothing against humans per say, but he isn't too comfortable dealing with them. There’s a difference between guarding humans and actually working with them. Hopefully exposure helps.

“With navigating the city around us, yes.” Sam extends his wings to glide back down to the ground. “With running the shelter, not so much. She has a shop with magical ingredients, designed for human practitioners and humans who like to pretend, but we’ll use her for any magical supplies we need.”

Most angelic magic is energy based. With the correct energy level, concentration, and will, any magic can be done. That generally depends on being in Heaven, the connection to a realm inherently magical. On Earth, an inherently physical realm where magic is a rarity rather than the norm, more than just energy and will becomes necessary for all but the strongest angels.

Miri nods, already curious about the human witch. She hasn’t dealt with humans in centuries, not since she started this round of service as a warrior. Even just walking here made it clear that human society has changed a lot since then, and Miri wonders just what the witch can teach her. “Paloma you said? I assume she knows what we are?”

“She was savvy enough to know that we weren’t human,” Gabriel tells her, “but we tell her the specifics. She handled it pretty well.”

Sam remembers the way she figured out that they were like Castiel and Dean and wonders if she could have figured it out eventually. “She likes what we’re doing here, so she’ll work with us and keep our secrets.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Miri isn’t sure what humans do now to spend time together, but she’s going to have to find a time to ask so they can figure out something out to do together.

“Do you have a preference regarding what rooms are built versus which ones are created?” Enoch looks around the warehouse trying to figure out how many rooms they can fit. The ground floor alone would be great for the training space, but he’s not sure if they can use that much space for just one purpose.

“The rooms essential to humans and that they’d expect to see in a place helping survivors,” Sam says, trying to figure out what exactly those are. “I was planning on the ground floor for the majority of the training, and on the second floor, we’ll put in the kitchen and eating area. Bathrooms on all floors of course.”

“Classrooms can be put on the second floor along with the kitchen,” Miri decides, a quick levitating spell boosting her up so she can try to figure out how many floors they can get. Four might happen, with lower ceilings, but three might be better, giving the training floor more space and making the others more comfortable.

“Top floor is the bedrooms,” Sam decides, flying up to hover above Miri, deciding that three floors will do it. If they need more floors, that’s what magic’s for. “Ground floor training space will have to share it with the medical space, but that makes sense given most injuries will happen down there.”

“So what exactly do we need magical expansions for?” Addai asks, confusion all over his face. “It sounds like we have everything we need in the physical structure itself.”

“For now, yes,” Sam agrees, landing next to the angel with a smile, “but I’m hoping that eventually we have enough residents that we need more space for all of them.” No, he doesn’t want that many people to be victims, but he knows that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of humans in Hell. 

“And anything we do related to magic shouldn’t be done in the building,” Gabriel adds, coming behind Sam to rest his chin on his shoulder, “just to be careful.”

Addai nods before taking a deep breath. “So, where do we start?”

“Construction.” Sam snaps his fingers to summon the building plans he created. A little magic won’t hurt. “When we bought the place, we used a little magic to push the plans through for approval, so all we have to do is buy the supplies and start building.”

“Which we’re doing physically.” Elrad isn’t super keen on the idea, but he’s willing to do just about anything as long as he doesn’t have to smell sulfur. “Do you know where to buy these supplies and how to get them back here?”

Sam smiles, so glad he took a day to talk with Paloma and work with Gabriel on Earth so he knows the answers to all of these questions. “Gabe will take you to the store. He’s already got human money, and you can get a truck at the hardware store to bring everything back.”

Enoch’s glad to hear that all of this is planned out. “And you know how to drive?” He raises an eyebrow at the archangel, knowing he’s been on Earth plenty of times but never hearing about him driving. Teasing an archangel feels like a somewhat questionable decision, but they all need to be comfortable with each other if they’re going to work well together.

Gabriel flips Enoch off with a grin while heading for the door. “All of you with me, but Miri stay with Sam. You two can wait and meet Paloma when she arrives.” He knows about Miri’s interest in humans, so he might as well satisfy some of her curiosity now.

Miri nods even while Sam sticks out his tongue at Gabriel’s back, getting a wave over the shoulder in response. “What, you don’t like the idea of spending time with me?” Sam might be the boss, but he’s still a kid, so he lacks a sense of intimidation, and she kinda feels a need to mother him.

“More like I don’t need a babysitter,” Sam corrects her while checking his outfit to make sure he looks fittingly human. Miri’s dress is a little too fancy for the area with a pattern that reminds him of her wings, but it’ll do. “I’m not going to wait for her to visit, and you should learn how to get to Paloma’s shop.”

So they’re walking. Miri follows him out, watching as he pulls out a metal key to lock the door this time. The lock is large and obvious, hopefully a great deterrent in human eyes. “That’s it? No magic to secure it?”

“Right now, there’s no need.” The warehouse is just four walls and a roof at the moment, so Sam isn’t too worried about it. “Besides, as magical as we are, I don’t want to use too much. The whole point is to help people be human and live on Earth. If we become too dependent on magic, they might as well, and that’s counterproductive.”

Well, she certainly understands that point, but that doesn’t necessarily make it any easier. Miri likes her magic, and it’s going to take time to adjust. At least they’ll have that time before the humans start arriving. “Touché. Now, lead the way.”

As they walk along, Sam points out the different stores along the way, why humans need them and which ones they might need. The grocery store interests her the most. They have similar stores in Heaven, but they’re also very different. 

In Heaven, she can get raw ingredients, but then she has to use a spell of her time to make a meal. The amount of premade dishes, the amount of foods designed to last for months, shoved full of chemicals, blows her mind. She’s curious but not too sure she wants to eat that much of it. 

“And what is that?” Miri eyes the outline of a large busted woman holding a pole on the door of the place called The Pussycat Shop. “What can you buy here?”

Sam blushes because he had the same questions, and he was  _ not  _ expecting the answer Paloma gave him. “Um, depends. Technically, all you can buy is a drink while watching a woman dance in little to no clothing. But many people bend the rules and pay for sex acts too.” He knows sex is normal and that humans really like it, but to see it so public makes him want to hide his face and the blush he knows covers every inch of his cheeks.

Huh. Miri really has been out of touch with humanity and the changes in society. She wonders just how many societies have places like these. “We’ll have to keep Nirel away from that place,” looking at it over her shoulder one last time, “or he’ll lose all of his money there.”

Surprised, Sam looks at Miri before turning left to see Paloma’s shop up ahead. “That seems like a place angels wouldn’t go.” No, angels aren’t as pure as humans expect them to be, but paying for sex seems a little much even for them.

“The rules are pretty relaxed for angels on Earth. It’s always good to support the humans around you.” A lovely little loophole to get around some things. “Besides, when you live as long as we do, casual sex can be very difficult because you’ll see that angel for a very, very long time afterwards. Super awkward if things don’t go well.”

Sam can only imagine since he’s never done anything like that before. “I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.” Not that he’s planning on casual sex any time soon, if at all, but he’ll keep it in mind.

Miri smirks at the blush on the boy’s face but doesn’t comment on it. Gabriel has a Hell of a challenge ahead of him, no pun intended. She can’t wait to watch.


	35. Chapter 35

Gabriel watches the five angels move through the large warehouse store, each with their own list of supplies to purchase. He doesn’t have a long list, just some basic recessed lights for the training area and medical offices and the cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms.

Several humans approach him to offer assistance, but he waves them off. He can figure out what he needs and how to get it. The lights are simple, not much variety other than size, so he gets them out of the way first. Cabinets are a little different.

There are a lot of options, not helped by the fact that the warehouse connects to a smaller, more specialized store with even more options, each one finer than the last. As Gabriel looks through them all, trying to figure out which one will work best across all of the rooms, he has an epiphany.

Looking into the old records, there were many mentions of providing a potential mate with something discussed. Then, to show that they listen to the potential mate, modifying one or two small details for the portion that the potential mate will use.

He shifts his plan from one style of cabinets for the whole shelter to different ones for each type of room. Who cares about price? For the kitchen, he likes the dark brown cabinets, almost black, that remind him of his own kitchen. Sam complimented them when he visited, something Gabriel didn’t forget.

For the bathrooms, white cabinets, simple fronts with silver drawer pulls and handles. Straight and simple. It’s a nice contrast to the dark kitchen doors with ‘knotted’ white ceramic pulls. But for Sam’s personal bathroom, Gabriel picks something different.

In Cassie’s library, the bookshelves are built of a nice cherry wood with a glossy finish to show off and maintain the wood grain. Gabriel browses through every cabinet option until he finds one that matches the library shelves.

They need their own pulls as well, and Gabriel looks through every option for those as well. None of them really scream Sam to him, and he starts to get a little frustrated. It’s stupid though, because he’s an archangel, and he can modify anything he needs to so that it’s perfect.

If the shelter works as well as Sam hopes it will, there’s bound to be chaos and insanity for Sam. Gabriel pulls on his knowledge of various cultures to carve an om symbol into the flat round surface of the black metal pulls. It’s the belief that the symbol works that matters, not the culture, so Gabriel knows that they’ll work for Sam.

The fact that the symbol is a pleasing shape is just an added bonus. Gabriel uses a quick illusion to cover up the changes he made to the standard product to avoid having to explain anything to the humans. He has everything that he needs, so he gets a staff member to start ringing him up, the others joining him as they finish. 

They don’t need everything all at once, can’t put in the cabinets until they have walls for example, but they can order things so they’re ready for when they need them. Today they drive out with two by fours for framing, nails, screws, hammers, drills, and drywall. It’s probably more than they need for today, but it reduces the number of trips they’ll take.

The door pulls for Sam’s bathroom sit in Gabriel’s pocket, a little surprise for the day.

Back at the warehouse, he has a brief moment of panic once he realizes Sam and Miri aren’t there as expected. He reaches out to them both, to Miri as an angel and Sam as family, and both seem fine. They must have decided to go visit Paloma instead of waiting for her to come to them.

Panic over, he refocuses on the job ahead of them, construction. “Has anyone built a building before?” He rolls the garage door up so Elrad can back the truck up to get unloaded. Gabriel made his house with magic, just thought about what he wanted and made it happen. As he looks at the piles of lumber, he realizes that they have to focus on things like physics while doing this.

“I have,” Lysia tells them, double checking all of the supplies. They appear to have all of the necessary supplies, perhaps not enough for the full job, but enough to get started. “I needed some time off, and I helped build houses after a natural disaster. It was a long while ago in human terms, but I can’t imagine the basics have changed too much. The rules of how objects on Earth act haven’t changed.”

“Then please, lead the way,” Gabriel tells her. “We have the plans Sam designed, so we can lay the rooms out, and then you can lead us through framing the walls.” He maybe should have done more research before starting to build a building.

This is going to be a shit show. They haven’t even started, and Lysia already knows that. Sam might not want them to use magic, but they might need it to keep his building upright. The resulting structure will be entirely physical, but there might be some magic in the process.

As Gabriel suggested, they mark out the rooms with tape so that they know where to place the two by fours. Lysia walks them through what to do, but the problems start immediately. There’s a major difference between swinging a sword and swinging a hammer.

When someone clears their throat, swords nearly appear until the angels remember that they’re on Earth, not in Hell. They all look up at the clearly human man standing in the doorway. “I wondered who bought this place. None of the locals seem to want to touch it, muttering something about weird energy.”

Based on his clear English, this man is not a local. “Can we help you?” Gabriel asks, hand ready for his sword or his magic, whichever one will be more appropriate if he presents any type of threat.

“I did construction in the States before my life went sideways.” He grimaces at what must be a bad memory before literally shaking it off. “Something tells me you have no idea what you’re doing, and if you try to move forward like that, it won’t be structurally sound.”

Lysia was about to say that but wasn’t quite sure how to say it. They’re warriors after all, not builders, but perhaps they could have done a little research before starting. Or maybe they could have been given a heads up about the ban on magic.

“You don’t normally do things by hand, do you?”

Gabriel stiffens and stretches out with his magic to scan the man. He is human, no supernatural blood in him, but there is a sense of something about him. “What do you mean?”

“You have the right tools, but you don’t move with them naturally. When things didn’t go right, you’d all start to wave your hand before freezing and dropping it.” He moves closer, picking up a hammer and crouching down to pull out a few nails, propping up the lumber before hammering the nails back in where they belong. “Haven’t seen it in years, but I’ll never forget it.”

The man stands up and flips the hammer over to hand it back to Elrad handle first. “You haven’t tried to kill me yet, so I’m guessing you aren't demons. So, what are you?”

“Gabe!” Everyone turns to the front door to see Sam followed by Miri and Paloma. “You got the supplies?” He freezes seconds after speaking when he sees the stranger among the angels. His face shutters, going blank as he asses the threat. “Hello.”

“Nathan.” Paloma steps forward to greet the man, one of the reasons she supports Sam’s idea of a shelter. “What are you doing here?”

“I saw the activity and decided to stop by.” Nathan walks past the angels to kiss Paloma on the cheek. “Having a nice day?”

“So far. I see you’ve met my new friends. They’re hoping to build a shelter here,” she explains, meeting Sam’s eyes with a soft smile, hoping that makes it clear Nathan’s not a threat. “Brazil lets their visitors get away from the struggles that lead them here.”

Nathan gets the feeling that he’s missing something about this shelter, about what the visitors are getting away from. He’d ask, but there’s enough tension in the room that he doesn’t want to risk it. “Alright.” He turns to the boy who seems to be in charge here. “Your people have no idea what they’re doing building. I can teach them.” If Paloma vouches for them, he’ll work to trust them, and he needs something to do with his time.

Sam looks around at the tense angels, the hesitant humans, then gestures for Gabe to join him off to the side. “We forgot to tell them no magic, didn’t we?” He can’t believe he forgot something as basic as that, but perhaps he just assumed they’d assume that working on Earth meant working like a human.

“They figured it out,” Gabriel assures him, making sure his sound dampening spell activated. “Are you sure you want to bring a human into this? Yes, we’ll bring them in eventually, but the plan was only once this was complete.”

With a little sigh, Sam shakes his head. “The shelter is for humans, and we’ve planned everything without humans. I can do all the research I want, but even I can’t tell exactly what humans need. Perhaps we should have had Paloma review our plans first and this Nathan is a blessing in disguise.”

Gabriel nods in agreement having had that thought a few times but not sure it was important enough to bring it up. There’s a fine line between criticism and constructive criticism, and he isn’t always sure where it rests with Sam.

“Given that he knew we’re not human before we told him, something tells me he has an idea of what he’s getting into,” Gabriel tells him. “He offered even knowing we’re not human. If Paloma vouches for him, then we can work with him.”

Sam thinks it over for a moment before crossing the room to stand in front of Nathan. He waits a moment, sensing out the human, which is when he realizes that he can sense the faintest bit of Hell on him. “If you help us, are you looking for a salary, a place to stay, anything like that?”

Nathan shrugs. “Money never hurts. I have my own place to stay if you don’t mind me commuting in the morning. Whatever you can spare.”

“Then we’ll figure out a salary for you, and it’s up to you if you stay here or not. It’ll be a little rough if you stay here though.” Sam shrugs himself before holding out his hand. “Welcome.” He’s not above admitting when he needs help, something he learned with the ley lines, and they definitely need help because even angels need practice to perfect things.

He eyes it for a moment then shakes the kid’s hand. Nathan’s not quite sure how a kid managed to be in charge of a bunch of adults, but he seems put together enough. Shaking his hand, he asks, “Just how strong are these guys? How much we can do in a day comes down to strength and stamina really.”

“We can do a lot,” Elrad tells him, not sure he likes having a human in charge of him. The young demon was a little difficult, but he’s proved his intelligence, and he has an archangel to vouch for him. An unknown human, someone a lot weaker than him, is not ideal.

Nathan raises an eyebrow at the one with his panties in a twist. “Great. Then let’s get started.” He grabs a spare hammer, checks out the walls outlined on the floor. Looks like they’ve set them up for proper load bearing walls, so they can move forward without any changes. “Ready?”

Elrad and the rest of the angels nod, and everyone starts working. Sam sits to the side with Paloma, talking about Nathan without her giving too much away. Apparently born in the United States of America, something happened to him involving supernatural elements, and he ended up in Brazil once he escaped.

“Would you tell him what we are?” Sam asks Paloma, curious about a human’s perspective on things. He’s not too worried about it mostly because he knows Nathan doesn’t present much of a threat if he doesn’t take it well. But if he won’t take it well, and Paloma knows that will happen, then perhaps ignorance can be bliss.

Paloma considers it for a moment before admitting that she doesn’t know him well enough to decide. “Nathan is quiet, coming in once a month to restock on herbs for protection. He doesn’t have natural magical abilities, but the herbs he uses don’t need them. Honestly, he doesn’t seem to want to know specifics. Just knowing you aren't human will likely be enough for him.”

Sam had the same feeling especially once he sensed Hell on the human. If they talk about the others being angels, they’ll have to admit that he’s a demon, and he has a feeling that won’t go over well. “Then we’ll wait for him to ask.”

“That works, but what if he asks me, not you?” Paloma doesn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but she knows better than to assume a human will do what a non-human will expect.

The boy blinks at her, clearly not expecting that question. “Um, you can tell him about the angels, but not me. If he wants to know about me, he has to ask me or Gabe.”

Paloma wonders what he knows that she doesn’t that makes him hesitate. Perhaps it’s just the fact that he’s a demon. “I will keep that in mind.” She moves away from the conversation, sensing a little tension. “They’re working quite well with Nathan.” Several walls have already been framed out, enough that she can hear them talking about the second floor.

“We really weren’t as prepared as we thought we were,” Sam admits, not really wanting to admit it but knowing he has to. No one seems to care though, moving past the issue as soon as they have a solution, not complaining about anything.

He’s surprised, but he definitely isn’t complaining. Things are moving forward, everyone knows what to do and how to do it, and his dream is coming true. Nathan really deserves any salary they can find for him even if Sam has to find a way to make his own money to give Nathan.

But that’s for later. Now? Now he’ll sit and watch his dream begin to take shape.


	36. Chapter 36

It takes three days, but they finally have all of the walls framed, the second floor set out, and the subfloor set up for the floor. There’s a brief moment of panic when they realize they forgot to plan for stairs, but they work them in. Question becomes, what’s the next step?

As the angels talk among themselves, Sam waits for Nathan to arrive. The taciturn human continues to sleep at his own place, which makes things easier for them at night, but does slow things a little in the morning. Sam knows what he wants to have happen next, but he has to check with Nathan to make sure that it can happen next.

“Morning.” Nathan arrives, tossing a bag of sonhos to the builders, positive they’ll catch the bag even with little warning. Sure enough, the woman with the bright blue hair catches it only looking seconds before it arrives. “Donuts for everyone.” He ate his on the way over.

“Good morning.” Sam smiles at him, glad to see the human. While the angels have a handle on things by now, he still likes having an expert around.

“Morning,” Nathan repeats, nodding at the kid. He’s a decent enough boss, not really ordering them around but still good at making his desires known.

Sam looks up at the high ceiling, trying to imagine what the floor above will look like. “Is this solid enough that we can start working on the walls for the second floor? To me, it makes sense to have all of the framing done before putting up the drywall.”

Nathan looks up at the ceiling as well before nodding slowly. “We can get the walls up on that floor today, no problem. Your people work pretty quickly once they know what they’re doing.” And they don’t make errors the way humans do. They’re far smoother.

That’s good to hear. Fighting is a physical job, and it’s been implied that angels can do anything once they learn, but it’s still nice to see that it’s true. “Great.” He doesn’t really have anything to do, mostly supervising the supervisor really, but he has a book to occupy himself today. He needs to know more about human magic.

“So, what are they?” Nathan doesn’t look at the kid while asking, keeps his eyes on the workers. They look stiffer, like they heard his question, but only one looks over at him.

“Angels.” No beating around the bush with this one. “We’re building this to try and help people affected by demons, help them find their feet and merge back into society.”

Nathan can’t look at the kid now. He found his feet just fine on his own, but something like this might have helped make it a smoother process. “And how the hell do you find people like that?”

“My brother and his mate work down in Hell. When they rescue humans, they’ll bring them here to give them an option.” The kid hesitates for a moment before saying mate, like he wasn’t sure it’s the right word. A little weird for Nathan, a human, but he guesses it makes sense for angels. “They haven’t done it before?”

Sam sighs, watching the angels eat the sonhos like they can’t decide if they like them or not. “Not traditionally, no. They’ve rescued the humans, and that’s where their job officially ends. Not that most angels know enough about Earth to really help humans. But we’re trying to change that, make sure that a rescue really means something.”

He would have killed for something like that when he was dropped off on Earth, but he did manage alone. More or less. “And if they don’t want help?”

“We’re here for whoever does.” Sam shrugs a little, gesturing to the front door. “Paloma’s here to help us make sure we focus on what humans actually need. None of us really have any experience living on Earth, especially not without magic.”

“You decided to help humans without consulting humans on what they need?” For someone who seems so good at planning, that seems like a serious oversight.

“I’m sixteen and haven’t mingled much with humans, and I’m not allowed on Earth on my own.” Nathan turns, surprised enough by the ban on going to Earth to actually look at him. “And angels really don’t have the best perspective on things. Talking to Paloma, perhaps you as well, really is the best we can. And then we’ll learn once we have people to help.”

Not a great plan but not an awful one either. “You’d keep me around once the building is done?”

“As you pointed out, we really could use more human input on our plans.” The kid gestures to the angels now facing off against each other like they’re mock fighting but the blows too serious to be completely playful. “Clearly, the angels aren’t the best example.”

He keeps referring to them as angels rather than saying ‘us’ or ‘we,’ and Nathan narrows his eyes at the kid. Physically, he looks as human as the others, but now he’s wondering if he’s something else. That’s something he really should know before agreeing to keep working with them. “And you? Are you a good example?”

Sam freezes, keeps his eyes on the angels messing around rather than the human next to him. Gabe looks over again, clearly picking up on his unease. A raised eyebrow asks if he wants support, and Sam nods to accept it. He doesn’t want to do this alone, and clearly Gabe doesn’t mind if he doesn’t do it alone.

“No, I’m not a good example of normal,” Sam admits as Gabe puts an arm around his waist, “not for anyone, let alone humans.” He takes a deep breath, knowing that all of the angels can hear him, that everyone will know about this now. “Being raised in Hell as a slave intended for sexual entertainment is no one’s normal.”

Raised in Hell? Nathan’s stuck on that when he realizes that makes the kid a demon. The last set of demons he met liked to whip his cock for entertainment, so the realization makes him want to run away.

But he’s stronger than that. He’s moved past what those fuckers did to him, and the kid’s been decent to him the whole time. Hell, he already paid him for the work he’s done so far. And this kid sounds more like another victim than a perpetrator. The fuckers who took him never would have built a shelter to help humans.

They certainly wouldn’t have an angel at their side ready to strike Nathan down if he says the wrong thing.

“The way you say that, makes you sound like you’re as young as you look. How old are you, exactly?” Nathan has to say something, and he really doesn’t want to talk about working with a demon. He needs a moment to process.

“Sixteen. As old as I look.” Sam can see how Nathan stiffened up when he explained that he’s a demon, but he hasn’t attacked or run, so perhaps there’s still a chance. “Not sure how long that will last, when I’ll stop physically aging. We don’t really talk to demons in Hell about it, and my brother has already decided to adjust his appearance.”

Dean still looks like Dean, nothing crazy there, but he still looks like he’s about sixteen. It’s probably because of the whole daddy thing he has going on with Castiel. Sam’s not going into that at all, really isn’t interested, but as long as Dean’s happy, Sam’s happy for him.

“What’d your brother do?” Nathan grasps at something to talk about that doesn’t involve the word demon.

“Halted his aging. Nothing crazy but no more aging.” Sam sits there, waiting for a response, not wanting to push Nathan too fast into accepting something he probably really doesn’t like. He leans into Gabe at his side, glad for the silent support through the uncomfortable conversation.

“Lucky him.” Nathan still isn’t looking at him and then he starts to walk away. “We’ve got enough supplies since we another load arrived before I got here. Might as well get started on the second floor. Have you laid out the floor plan yet?”

Apparently that conversation is over, and Sam takes a moment to hug Gabe, glad he was there but equally glad he wasn’t needed. “No, not yet. Did we get more tape?” They might be able to try and reuse the tape from the first floor, but Sam doesn’t want to try.

“Came in with the lumber,” Nathan announces, pointing at the bag sitting to the side. “Let us know when you’re done.”

Sam nods and runs over to grab the tape before running upstairs. As if Nathan wasn’t enough, he can feel the angels watching him, following his every movement. There’s no way they didn’t hear what he told Nathan about how he was used, and Sam really doesn’t want to see their reactions at the moment.

Gabriel watches Sam run away torn between running after him to support him and staying behind to answer the questions in the angels’ eyes. He can’t hear crying or sense any major distress, so he leaves Sam alone.

“He was abused as a kid?” Nathan asks, cutting to the heart of it as the other angels join him and Gabriel.

“Yes.” Gabriel doesn’t say much else, only willing to answer questions asked and maybe not even all of those.

“Is that why he’s doing this?” Enoch wondered what caused Sam to choose a shelter as his project, and this could explain it.

Gabriel shakes his head. “Sam started this project because he wanted to help people, and he’s not a warrior the way Dean is. He only regained his memories of his early childhood recently.”

Nathan shakes his head because memories like that never really go away, are just suppressed. “Still a good reason to start something like this.”

Enoch and Miri exchange a glance, both surprised to hear that Sam only recently regained memories. To the best of their knowledge, angels and demons very rarely lose memories and only once they become old enough that their early days begin to fade. Then again, they might try to suppress those memories too if that happened to them.

They know how nasty demons can get, how creative they can be.

“We’re putting up the walls on the second floor?” Elrad asks, ready to move past the sob story of the day. He feels bad for the kid, but plenty of people have gone through Hell, and coddling him won’t do anything for the kid. Besides, he’s a demon, so he should expect that from the demons around him.

Nathan nods, and Sam appears at the bottom of the stairs seconds later. “Floor plan taped out?”

“It’s ready.” Sam can tell they’ve been talking about him, but no one brings it up. “Go on ahead.” Everyone moves past him to head upstairs carrying supplies for the walls, but Gabe takes his arm and pulls him to the side instead of joining the others.

“I got something for you when buying supplies a few days ago,” Gabe explains, leading him over to the bags sitting against the outer wall, “and I wanted to show you before I forgot.”

Sam watches him dig through the bag confused since they agreed on the simple look of things before Gabe went shopping. What could he have done that needs sharing? “What did you find at a hardware warehouse to get for me?” It’s not exactly the most fun store on Earth.

Gabe holds out several metal things, and it takes Sam a moment to recognize them as the knobs for cabinet doors. “We discussed keeping all of the bathrooms the same, but I thought you deserved something different.” He shows Sam the symbol carved onto the flat surface. “The symbol stands for serenity, something you’ll deserve and may need once the shelter is up and running.”

Oh. At first, Sam was a little irritated that Gabe changed something without talking to him, but he gets why he didn’t. He traces the symbol, not sure where it comes from but interested in learning about it. “Thank you.”

A soft smile grows on Sam’s face, and Gabriel does his best to keep his smile internal. Mission accomplished. Sam is happy and likes his gift which means Gabriel did the right thing. It might not be an obvious courting present, but it’s a nice start, shows that he’s on the right track.

He can definitely win his mate. Gabriel just needs time.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, this is about two years after the previous chapter. The shelter is complete, people are staying there, and things are just warming up in Hell.

Lucifer heads to their armory, not entirely sure what he needs. It’s been a while since he went to Hell to work. Yes, he was there to help Dean and Castiel against Greed, but that was different. He was in charge of himself that time, and this time Michael’s in charge.

“Just bring your favorite sword.” He glances over to see his mate lounging in the doorway. “I don’t really care what you have with you as long as you’re comfortable. We haven’t dictated weaponry in centuries, not once you reach a certain skill level.”

Makes sense. Every angel has a preferred fighting style, and different weapons suit different styles. Lucifer grabs his sword, the sword that’s been with him since the beginning and tosses it across his back. “Ready.”

“Good.” Michael holds out his hand, and they walk out of the armory hand in hand, taking a quick portal ride down to Hell. “We’ll work with Castiel’s garrison for this. He said their scouting expeditions show Wrath’s territory has settled.”

“Which means it’s time for him to start pushing out, see what territory he can start taking.” Lucifer remembers his decision two years ago, that he’s going to start working with angels instead of hiding away, and now it’s time to act on that. “Hell is about to get hotter than usual.”

Michael scoffs at the bad joke but doesn’t say anything because he’s just glad to see Lucifer hasn’t lost his sense of humor. A crappy sense of humor, but still his. “And we’re about to step right into it. You sure you’re ready?”

Lucifer closes his eyes as the scent of sulfur rolls over him. No, he doesn’t want to be here. Last time, he had the driving need to protect his family to move him past the issues of being back in Hell, but this time, it’s a little more ephemeral. He’s just protecting angels and Heaven as a whole. “Yes.”

That response wasn’t as steady as it could have been, but Michael will take it. “Then let’s go find them.” They move through several different corridors until they finally reach the kitchen where they agreed to meet Castiel.

“Hello, boys.” Yonit knows that both angels are older and more powerful than her, but working as the head of the kitchen has given her an almost grandmotherly personality. It’s a human term and perspective, but it’s the best she can come up with to explain her feelings. “Looking for food or just meeting someone?”

“A little bit of both.” Michael bows with a little smile at the head of the kitchen staff. “What’s on the stove today?”

“Simple pork buns,” Yonit says, turning around to head back to where the food is kept away from the tables. While there are no concerns about running out of food, it does take time to cook things, and they need to make sure the food is ready when angels return from raids and other missions. “You have new orders for people?”

Lucifer sits next to his mate on the bench, taking a bun from the tray Yonit brings out. “Not exactly. Based on my experience, the current Wrath should have settled his power internally which means we need to prepare for attacks as he tries to expand his territory.”

“We took advantage of Wrath’s weakness, moving in on his territory a lot in the last six years,” Michael reminds her, “and that’s likely one of the first things he’ll try to get back.”

“It’s the same thing we’ve been doing for awhile, just with a new focus,” Lucifer explains, biting into the pork bun. Spices and perfect juices burst into his mouth, and he’s so grateful for angels who actually learn to cook because it’s never this good when magic makes the dish. “So damn good, Yonit.”

She chuckles at the look on the archangel’s face. Perhaps that’s why she feels so grandmotherly because so many angels look like little kids again when eating her food. A little physical work instead of magic goes a long way. “Glad to hear it.”

Michael’s pretty sure Lucifer’s exaggerating, a fan of any cooked food that doesn’t involve magic, but a bite of his own pork bun proves him wrong. This food really tastes really good, and Michael gobbles down the first bun so that he can get another one. “Really good, Yonit.”

She keeps smiling, amazed at the power a simple bit of food has over such powerful beings. “It’s the care and consideration that goes into it. Magic removes that from consideration, and then the food is lacking.” Emotions aren’t a measurable, but she knows better than to discount them as ingredients.

“Explains why Dean’s cooking always tastes good,” Lucifer fumbles out around a mouthful of food. He looks down at the table and works hard to swallow when Yonit raises a very unimpressed eyebrow at him.

“Well, make sure you’re full, but don’t eat too much,” she warns them, “because Sigal and her angels will return soon, and they might need it.”

Both Michael and Lucifer pull their hands back, two buns down and not even that hungry in the first place. It was all for the taste. “Hopefully you won’t need to make way more than usual. We’re expecting a little more activity from Wrath’s demons soon, but hopefully it won’t be too different.”

It’ll feel like more than normal given that things have been pretty quiet over the past few years. Angels might live massively long lives, but sometimes they feel time more like they expect humans do, every single year dragging as they can’t wait to go back home.

“We’ll be ready for them no matter what happens.” Yonit’s simply glad that preparing for more attacks means making more food, not dealing with more blood or bandages. “You think things have settled enough for him to start expanding now?”

“Yes, we do.” She blinks, turning to face Lucifer, surprised because she expected Michael to answer. He’s always been the one leading, Lucifer just supporting his mate in Hell. Apparently more than just the Sins are changing. “We’ve heard the reports from everyone down here, talked to Castiel, and Wrath’s been starting to send out little probes. We need to be ready for when things pick up.”

“Makes sense.” She doesn’t like it, but she’ll manage it just like they all will. “We took advantage of his weakness, and now he’ll try to retaliate for that. At least you know to prepare for it.”

Lucifer takes a deep breath. “Well, I created them, so I should have an idea of how they operate, and this is the best way to use that knowledge, turning it against them.”

Yonit thought the conversation was done with surprises, but there’s another one. Everyone knows what Lucifer did, but no one talks about it. “We appreciate it. Anything we can do to keep people safer is good.”

He nods, acknowledging her commentary and also her willingness to let it go. Lucifer grabs another bun, needing it this time for a little emotional support. No one says anything about it which is another thing he appreciates.

There’s a slight commotion in the hallway then a voice from behind the two angels. “Hello, brothers. We weren’t expecting to see you down here.”

They turn around to look up at Castiel, identical raised eyebrows on their faces. “Are we not allowed to help out?”

Castiel chuckles before sitting next to them, grabbing some food to renourish after work. “Of course you are, but if you’re down here, something abnormal is going to happen. It’s not often you come down here just because you feel like fighting one day.”

“Wrath is likely going to attack soon,” Michael explains, “and we figured we’d come help out.”

“And I’d like to see how close to Wrath I can get.” Lucifer really isn’t looking forward to that, but he knows it’ll be important. “Depending on how strong my ties with Hell and the Sins still are, I might be able to determine his plans. If he wants to attack the other Sins, fine, but if he wants to show his strength by only attacking us, then we need to know that.”

Castiel really doesn’t like the idea of Lucifer having ties that strong to Hell, but he would appreciate the greater warning. “Alright. We’ll have to get Sigal involved in this, figuring out where to place you in the garrison for maximum effectiveness.”

“Something tells me they’ll be effective wherever we put them.” Sigal drops down next to Yonit, grabbing a bun. “Damn, woman, these are phenomenal. Whoever put you in charge of the kitchen is a genius.” She winks at Yonit when Castiel shakes his head at her. He controls this portion of Hell for the angels, so she knows who to suck up to.

“Yes, you can go visit Enoch this weekend,” he tells her, not even needing an official request. She goes as often as she can, generally every other month, and he’s pretty sure she’d go more often if the couple wasn’t so busy. “Gabriel already reached out to me and said that you’re welcome whenever you want. Apparently a few of the women there really like you.”

Sigal found herself teaching a few of the humans some tricks related to self defense, enjoying the work a little more than she expected to. Now she has some fans, she guesses, and that works for her. “Well, maybe I’ll teach them a little more this time too.”

He almost tells her to apply for a position at the shelter, but Castiel wants her exactly where she is. If she decides to apply on her own, then the best to her, but he isn’t going to try and give her away. She’s a phenomenal instinctual fighter he likes guarding his back.

“Maybe you can take them the next round of survivors.” Michael noticed a while ago Sam’s insistence on calling them survivors, not victims, and he’s done his best to make sure he remembers that. He generally thought of them as victims of the demons, but he likes viewing them as survivors instead.

Sigal nods, swallowing the last of her bun. “It’d be my honor. I’ve already taken a few up, and it’s amazing, You can barely see it, but there’s a small spark of hope in their eyes, and it’s amazing. I know we fight for Heaven, but sometimes, I’d like to think we fight for that too.”

Dean might be his mate, but Castiel knows Sam fairly well, and he’s pretty sure Sam would be thrilled to hear that. “Whatever gives you the motivation to keep going, you fight for that.” He fights for Dean now, more than anything else. Dean and the rest of his family.

“So we’re going after Wrath. Are we letting him come to us, or are we going to him?” Sigal doesn’t really care one way or the other since she’ll be killing demons one way or the other, but they do need to plan so all the angels come back alive.

“Letting him come to us,” Michael announces, taking Lucifer’s hand underneath the table and giving it a squeeze. He’s here for his mate, notices every time he stiffens up when someone mentions him or he thinks of something negative. “Just because we know the two forces will fight doesn’t mean we can change how that happens. We don’t want to appear the aggressors at the moment.”

Lucifer shakes his head at the idea. “Wrath likely feels powerful enough that he can reach out to attack us. Our defences are strong enough that we’ll survive. If we attack though, we’re challenging his perception of himself which will likely result in an even larger counter attack. A Sin desperate to show his strength isn’t opposed to sacrificing his demons just to make a point.”

“Sacrifice them? You mean like human suicide bombers? He knows he won’t get them back because they’ll sacrifice themselves,” Sigal tries to puzzle out, “but it’s worth it because it’ll hurt us?”

“Exactly.” Lucifer’s seen it before, Lucifer’s  _ done  _ it before, and Lucifer’s not keen to see it again. Beings will die anyway, but hopefully patience will reduce the number of those deaths that belong to angels. Hopefully.


	38. Chapter 38

Paimon walks back and forth in front of the demons lined up in their brigades. Tension fills the air as they wait to find out if their regiment will be chosen for the first set of attacks. Realistically, only a few companies will be chosen, more than four hundred soldiers too many to manage in the small spaces of Hell they’re going to, but they never know.

Besides, eventually, he’ll run through them all. There are plenty of angels in Hell to kill, and Paimon would love to be the one leading the charge to get them all out. Obviously pushing all of the angels out of Hell is a little optimistic, but a demon can dream. He needs some way to make a name for himself.

All of the demons stare straight ahead, and all of the demons look identically ready. There’s really no reason to pick one unit over another except for political reasons. So, politics it is. Wrath can play that game.

He gestures at companies controlled by Furfur, Pithius, and several other demons who stepped up early to lead the attacks on Abaddon’s supporters. Demons like the blood and guts, love pulling the wings off the angels and watching the feathers fly in the air, so it’s a reward, not a punishment to have additional work.

Once everyone has been selected, Paimon heads to the front of the cavern, stepping up on a dais to ensure everyone can see him. Mutters fill the room as demons celebrate or bemoan their situation depending on if they were picked. He waits for silence to fall, but they keep talking, not paying attention to him.

Paimon narrows his eyes at his underlings. The nobles all obey him now, but the servants and slaves not so much. A wave of his hand has magic flashing around the room with a loud clap, drawing everyone’s attention.

He smiles at them, reveling in the shock and surprise in many eyes. “Even with the changes and upheaval over the last few years, Wrath remains strong.” He pauses to take a deep breath, but the demons listening to him take that as their cue to shout and cheer. That wasn’t the point, but he’ll take it.

“The angels though,” volume in the room falls when Paimon speaks again, “thought that we were weak, that they had the right to steal our territory.” Now the demons boo and hiss, wings fluttering and tails lashing.

“Today, we change that.” Paimon manifest the large sword he created shortly after starting to fight, one designed to make a statement, not just operate as a tool. He knows how it looks, and he can’t wait to see the smaller copies that demons will make soon trying to be like him. “Today, we start to retake our territory, show the angels just who Hell belongs to.”

This time Paimon cheers along with the demons in the room, raising his sword in the air along with his men. As the volume raises, even the nobles getting in on it, Paimon creates a portal in the wall behind them. He wants this momentum when they burst out to face the angels. They won’t expect this, think he’s too weak to fight angels, and he’s going to show them wrong.

Demons pour through the portal with all the momentum of their battle cry, but it’s not long before the cries turn into shouts of pain. Paimon can hear swords clanging against swords, something that shouldn’t have happened, not that soon.

As he pushes through the demons, he sees the angels already facing off against his demons. How did they know they were coming so soon? He shakes his head because it doesn’t matter. They were going to fight the angels anyway, so it doesn’t matter when they start.

Paimon gestures his commanders around the sides of the chamber. They’ll be more effective at cutting off the hallways leading into the chamber, preventing more angels from arriving. He moves through the middle, ducking under a few swords, heading for where he knows the old armory sits.

An angel steps in front of him, mace at the ready. Interesting choice for a melee full of swords, but to each their own. It’ll be no problem for him. Paimon steps up, swinging his sword at her head. She moves in to block and counter the attack, but she only reacts physically, not magically as well.

A pulse of magic shatters her mace, shards embedding themselves in the wall and her face. She screams but manages to manifest another weapon to defend her head even as she backs away from him. Paimon follows her, hammering away at her sword with every step.

Dikla keeps backing away, trying to clear the shards of mace out of her face. She should have reinforced it with magic, but she didn’t realize who she was facing. No way she can defeat a Sin, but she can try to delay long enough to send a message to Sigal. They knew he’d attack just not when or where.

Something wings over her head, and Dikla realizes another angel has stepped in to support her. Unless it’s one of the Commanders, perhaps Sigal, the angel will die just like her. They know their orders, everyone carrying a spell for shutting down, the idea to prevent any permanent deaths.

It’s so much harder to have an angel born, so regeneration is the preferred method when they know they’ll have a lot of deaths close together. Dikla feels her spell start to activate and knows she doesn’t have much time left in this body, and sends the message with a last push of magic.

Warm blood splatters down on her seconds later, and she knows her supporter has fallen. At least the sacrifice was not in vain. Dikla’s last thought before the magic wraps around her consciousness and cold steel cuts through her back is that at least the Commanders will know.

Paimon looks down at the body in front of him wondering what he just missed. She was there in front of him, and then she was just gone. Clearly her body is still here, but her mind wasn’t. He’ll have to have Jacob look into that for him.

With her dead though, he can move through the corridor to the old armory. Some of the old weapons should still be there and give them an advantage over the angels. He can hear demons dying faster than expected behind him which spurs his steps on faster.

As he turns the corner into the armory, he freezes, sword coming up to point at the angels spread around the room. Fuck, he was not expecting this. Paimon assumed that they would empty out the armory and leave it alone after that.

“We’re not stupid, demon,” the angel in the middle sneers, stepping forward with an easy swing of his mace. This one thrums with magic unlike the other mace meaning this angel knows what he’s doing. “We can still feel the magic of the weapons in the room even if we can’t find them.”

Jephtah has no idea what was there, but anything that has a lingering sense that powerful will be important. That and a hidden space that they can’t even open with magic increases the likelihood that the object was important. Pride, arrogance told Jephtah that he was strong enough to defend this territory, but enough of his men have already been killed to prove otherwise. 

Jephtah should have told the Commanders, but it’s too late now. He made his bed, and now he had his men have to lie in it. 

Shit. Time for the backup plan. Paimon reaches into his pocket for the bomb he and his demons created earlier this week. The angels all duck and cover, but he knows it won’t do them any good. Forming a shield in front of him, the bomb unable to break through as both are his magic, Paimon watches it rip the angels apart.

Idiots. He steps over body parts while shaking his head at their stupidity. Just because they know weapons are here doesn’t mean they can stop him. They really should have left stronger angels in the armory if they thought to guard the weapons left behind.

Which would have been a much smarter move. The weapons here focus on magic, not the physical which means anyone can use them regardless of skill. These also tend to create the most carnage, so the angels really fucked this up.

Or maybe they didn’t. Paimon checks the wall where the hidden door rests and notices the lack of energy. He pulls it open to find the space empty of weaponry. The fuck? Why would they die for a bunch of empty space? This makes no fucking sense.

Until he notices the energy behind him. Several angels have gathered as he checked the wall, trapping him in the armory. That’s likely the plan at least, but Paimon’s not stupid enough to get caught with no back up plan.

A tap on an amulet sends a message to his personal guards. They’ll be here soon enough, and he can hold the angels off until then. Paimon stalks forward, grin spreading across his face as he readies his sword. The bomb was great for dealing with angels when he didn’t have time to fight, but this time, he has time.

Hardened sharpened metal slices through feathers as the angel charging forward fails to defend himself. It’s not fatal, but it must be painful. Paimon manages to duck or parry the blows aimed at him, slicing through the skin of several angels.

As the smell of blood increases, iron fights against sulfur for superiority in the nose. Paimon breaths them both in, using them to push forward, slicing through a throat, blood splattering everywhere. Perfect.

Another angel lets out a cry of outrage, raising his sword above his head for a serious blow, but he chokes, a sword poking out through his chest. Ah, the cavalry has arrived. Paimon cuts off his hands at the wrist just because he can to take the angels sword, working his way through the remaining angels with ease.

A few angels get away, but Paimon doesn’t care. They’ll catch them soon enough. He gestures for his guard to follow him where they rejoin the main battle. As expected, the weakest have already fallen, and the strong remain to fight each other. Paimon plans to join them, remove the balance and wipe out the angels.

But that’s when he realizes that his nobles have failed. Even as he joins his demons, a large influx of angels rush into the chamber as well. One glance tells him that they’re way out numbered, no chance of winning. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so blasé about letting the other angels go for a later death.

“Pull back,” Paimon orders, using his magic as a Sin to spread the message to all of his demons. Without the weapons in the amory, with the angels potentially preparing to use them, Paimon and his men don’t stand a chance, and he doesn’t want to lose so many in one blow.

The nobles pull out first, more important than the foot soldiers after them, but keeping the portal open for the foot soldiers as well. Paimon brings up the rear, doing his best to kill the angels coming after his demons, keeping them alive. His guard focuses on keeping him alive so he doesn’t have to worry about himself.

Chiram chases after the Sin in vain, watching as the portal closes behind him, cutting them off. Dikla’s message passed him, alerting him to her need so he could bring support, but it’s too late. As he looks around the chamber, Chiram mourns the angels lying dead around him, grateful that it’s not worse. There could have been so many more.

The only thing that makes this even remotely okay is because he knows they’ll come back, with time. Chiram signals for his garrison to start gathering the bodies, intending to take all of them back to Heaven for the funeral of their choice. They all deserve their own memorial for their sacrifices and dedication.

“Where are they?” He turns around to see Commander Castiel entering the chamber, shaking his head at the carnage around him.

“Wrath and his nobles escaped along with a large portion of his soldiers. It was fairly evenly matched, but when we joined the fight, he retreated,” Chiram reports, bowing at the seraph before helping Yonah with a body. “They closed the portal before we could work to keep it open and follow them.”

“Of course.” Castiel nods his head and steps aside to let angels pass while carrying the dead and wounded. He puts a hand out to reposition one angel on another so that they can reach the medics sooner and easier. “You did well, aiding your fellow angels. Thank you.”

Sigal showed him the message from the angel who encountered Wrath first, and this is much better than Castiel expected to find. With a Sin and plenty of nobles, the battalion of angels who met the demons should have been slaughtered in full. They were here to watch, not to fight, especially not a Sin.

It could have been so much worse, and it’s going to get worse as they go on. At least he knows the angels will come back with time. Eventually.

Wrath will attack again, and they’ll be completely ready next time. He won’t win.


	39. Chapter 39

Michael and Lucifer join Castiel and the others in the chamber, faces drawn when they see the bodies. It sucks, but Lucifer can’t help but think it could have been worse. Still, this never should have happened. The whole reason he’s down here is to prevent this.

“What happened?” He looks at the angels carrying bodies and the wounded out, checking them for strength. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“They’re a weaker battalion,” Castiel admits with a shake of his head. “They were just supposed to watch, and when a portal arrived, they were supposed to send a message. It didn’t reach us in time.”

Lucifer nods, understanding the logic. There are only so many angels who can stand up to a Sin. “Why did he come here? What was Wrath trying to get out of this? There’s nothing here but an empty armory and some empty caverns.”

“Maybe the armory wasn’t supposed to be empty.” Michael leaves the main cavern, following the scent of old metal to find the armory. There’s an opening in the wall that looks like it would fit a few weapons when closed. “Thank Heaven we got there first.”

“We need to figure out what was in that space,” Castiel announces, reaching out to run a hand over the stone. A lingering energy makes his hand tingle, a similar feeling to what he gets after touching Dean when he’s been doing a lot of demonic magic. “Something that powerful would not be good for us.”

“I can go through old records to see if I can find any info,” Lucifer offers, feeling a need to do something to make up for the deaths that happened here. “If we can figure out what Wrath wants, maybe we can use it against him or use it if we need something to negotiate.”

He does  _ not  _ want to negotiate with any demons, but Castiel knows that you can’t always avoid it. If that’s what it takes to get Wrath to back down, it may be worth it. They can always sabotage the weapon before turning it over.

“We need a better message and warning system,” Castiel decides while leaving the armory so they can head back to their territory for planning. “If we can get to the site of an attack sooner, we’ll have a better chance of stopping Wrath.”

“Are we trying to kill him?” Michael asks, not opposed to the idea but not sure it’s the smartest plan. Preventing him from attacking, maintaining a solid defense will cost them fewer lives than trying to kill Wrath. Although now really would be the time to do that given that Wrath will only become stronger with time.

“Just stop him,” Lucifer announces, not really caring what Castiel wants in this case, glad for his rank. “It won’t be worth the cost of trying to kill Wrath. To kill a Sin, we need a lot more planning than just deciding to kill Wrath.”

Castiel knows that, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating to hear. With Sam talking about creating long term change, Castiel finds himself wanting to do more. Killing a Sin instead of just pushing him back would be long term change. “Got it. What can we do to decrease our response time when Wrath arrives?”

“Something not dependent on the reaction of an angel,” Sigal announces, coming up behind the Commanders, not feeling bad about interrupting. “My soldiers are good, but when you have a horde of demons coming at you led by a Sin, you aren’t necessarily thinking about sending a message.”

Lucifer just listens as the others debate the issue back and forth, trying to come up with a solution. This really isn’t his area of expertise no matter how helpful he wants to be. His eyes wander around the cavern when he notices something odd on the wall.

Leaving the group behind, he runs his hand over the rock wall and the oddly perfect curve separating darker and lighter rock. He takes a step back and realizes that there’s an entire perfect circle on the wall. What the Hell would create that in an area created more naturally than designed? Lucifer steps a few more feet back when it hits him.

“We tie it to his arrival,” Lucifer says, cutting out the chatter behind him. “Creating a portal, even as a Sin in what was your territory, leaves a mark. And if it leaves a mark, then it’s big enough that it can be traced.”

Michael crosses over to Lucifer, seeing the same circle on the wall that drew his attention. “You’re telling me you can know when Wrath creates a portal to bring in troops for an attack?” That sounds too good to be true.

“It won’t be easy,” Lucifer admits, fingers twitching and tensing with his nerves. “I created this portion of Hell, and done right, I can rebuild those connections. And then a passive spell to monitor that connection to provide a warning when magic large enough to be a portal occurs.”

His first reaction is to shut it down, prohibit his mate from any ties with Hell, even just restrengthening what already exists. But Michael knows that Lucifer needs something to do to help. “How long will that take you to do?”

With a little shrug, Lucifer admits, “I have no idea. Long enough that we should have another plan in place as well.”

Sigal steps up again, an idea already brewing, assuming she can get permission for it. “What about something similar?” She gestures at the walls around them. “Can we build something into the walls that will vibrate and trigger a warning back in our territory? Anytime something severe happens with the walls, we know.”

“We’ll get some false alarms,” Castiel muses, turning the idea over in his mind, “but it's definitely better than nothing. Unfortunately, knowing that something has happened isn’t enough. We have to know where it is.”

“Do we have a map of the area?” This is something Lucifer knows he can do. “If you link the map to the spells, I should be able to create a secondary spell to indicate where it came from.”

When Castiel nods, Michael jumps on it because he likes this much better than Lucifer’s first plan. “Good, let’s do that. Although your method may be more accurate,” he tells Lucifer, “this doesn’t require people to be near you to know. Anyone watching the map can raise awareness.”

“Still depends on us reacting fast enough,” Castiel reminds them, not too happy with this situation. When the angels attack, they know they’re completely ready. It’s not like Wrath will send them an invitation so that they can ensure they’re ready for the fight.

Michael pulls his brother in for a hug, holding him close. “We’re going to lose people.” It didn’t use to bother Castiel quite so much, but having a mate can change your perspective on things. “But we’ll do everything we can to minimize how many people, and they’ll all come back in time. They’re not gone for good, just on a break.”

That’s not completely accurate, but that’s about the best way he can explain it.

Castiel understands the point, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. “Fine. Sigal, get the map set up in the dining hall. It’s invasive there, but someone is always there even if it’s just the kitchen staff. Lucifer, if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

Done, he turns and heads back to his rooms where Dean will be waiting for him, likely still asleep. He’s been pushing himself even more than usual over the past few years to prove he can defend himself if they let him visit Castiel down in Hell. Watching his mate wear himself out like this just for a chance to see him drives Castiel mad, but he can’t deny that seeing his mate more often has plenty of benefits. At a minimum, it gives him someone to hold when the losses of other angels weigh too heavily to bear alone.

The bed is warm when Castiel slips under the sheets to wrap around the slight body of his mate. He never asked for the effort, but Castiel appreciates the way Dean maintains his form like this. Wrapping around his mate, making him disappear underneath him is a feeling he can’t replicate anywhere else.

Of all the people in existence, he will always be able to protect his mate.

Dean mutters sleepily and rolls over to nuzzle Castiel’s chest. “What’s wrong? You’re too tense.”

Castiel runs a hand through Dean’s hair and down his back, a silent apology for waking him up. “We can talk later. Sleep now, Dean. You need it.”

“But you need to talk,” Dean counters, eyes still shut as he wiggles around so his face rests in the crook of his Daddy’s neck. “Talk to me, Daddy.”

A little huff above him tells Dean that he won. Good because as much as these trips down to Hell are for him, they’re for Cas too. Both of them need more time together, and he isn’t going to let Cas keep things bottled up anymore.

“We just lost several angels,” Cas announces, arms tightening around Dean almost painfully so. “They’ll come back with time, when they’re ready, but that doesn’t make losing them in the moment any easier. Until we kill enough demons to make it not worth it for Wrath to keep attacking, we’ll keep losing angels.”

“It’d be easier if we could just give him the place back.” Dean knows that’s completely ridiculous, but still. “You give it to him, soothe his pride from you striking when he was weak. Then, once he’s settled, you take it back. And because you’ll attack instead of defend, you’ll be better prepared and lose fewer angels.”

But you can’t just give back territory. You give a demon a little, they’ll work to take twice as much or even more. And it’ll be taken as a major sign of weakness, giving up territory for free. Sounds like a good idea, but it’ll never work. Except…

“Dean, you’re a genius.” Castiel pulls his mate back so that he can press a kiss to his forehead as excitement flows through him. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do, and we’re going to ambush them.”

There’s no way he gets back to sleep now, so Dean sits up cross legged in bed to look at Cas. “What are you talking about? My idea was totally stupid and will never work.” He rubs his eyes, still trying to fully wake up, well aware that it makes him look cute an innocent.

“The way you put it, no,” Castiel agrees while sitting up as well, “but if we tweak it, it’ll work. Instead of giving back the territory, we just empty it out. We pull back, and when Wrath attacks, expecting to be countered, he finds nothing.” He wants to touch his mate, revel in how adorable he looks waking up, but he’s busy planning. 

Dean thinks he knows where Cas might be going with this. “And as they all look around wondering where the angels are, you arrive and ambush the Hell out of them. That means even though Wrath determines the time and the place, you take that back and determine the actual time of the battle. Perfect!”

Laughing, Dean launches himself at Cas for a hug, almost knocking them off the bed. Cas manifests his wings and flaps them a few times to keep them on the bed. He giggles a little in apology, looking up at Daddy from under his lashes. “Sorry. But you smiled a little, and you don’t do that often enough down here. I got a little excited.”

Castiel wants to be irritated with his mate, but when he looks at him like this, all bright eyed and happy, he can’t. “It’s alright, baby boy,” Castiel assures him, slipping a hand down to tease Dean’s tail, fingers running along it the way he knows his mate likes it. Sure enough, a little moan floats up as Dean’s hips start to grind against him.

It’s so simple to get his mate going, and after so much death, Castiel needs a reminder that they’re still alive. “You sure, baby boy?” No matter how much he wants this, both of them need to want it. “You aren’t too tired?”

Dean giggles again, still grinding his hips into Castiel’s. “Never too tired for us. Make me feel amazing, Daddy.” Well, that’s an order he can obey with ease.

“Of course, baby boy.”


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Gabe aren't moving too fast at the moment, but Cas and Dean are always up to spending some time together in bed...

Castiel lays his mate down on the bed before sitting back on his heels to look him over. No matter how many times he sees this sight, sees that pale skin and lean muscle spread out in front of him, Castiel will never get tired of it.

While undressing him by hand might increase the anticipation, draw out the tension, Castiel is more interested in instant gratification at the moment. A wave of his hand strips his mate, revealing all of his lovely form to Castiel’s needy eyes. Whether instinct or feigned modesty, Dean’s hands fly down to cover his crotch, cheeks turning pink.

“Daddy! You have to give me some warning. You can’t just do that to me.” His tail wraps around his body to join his hands in protecting his modesty. Or at least pretending to. Dean’s hips shift and roll over and over, each motion revealing a little peak of his goods every time. “Slower next time.”

“Slower?” Castiel starts crawling up the bed, a spell slowly dissolving his own tunic, listening to his mate. “That’s not what you normally say.”

Leaning down, Castiel presses a kiss to the soft skin covering Dean’s balls, smiling at the little gasp he lets out in response. “But if that’s what my baby boy wants, I can go slow.” He continues pressing kisses against the round orbs, sticking out his tongue for a lick here and there.

Dean has no idea what to do now, hands moving between his head and Daddy’s head, not sure which one to grab. He was just teasing when he said slow, but now that Daddy’s going slow, he might actually like it. How was he supposed to know that little kisses alone would get him so into it so quickly?

“Feels so good, Daddy.” His hands finally settle in Daddy’s hair, tight in the strands of hair but not tight enough to get lectured. “Love it when you do that. Love you too, Daddy.”

Castiel chuckles, moving over to press kisses to Dean’s thigh, smiling at the shift of muscles under the skin. “You love everything I do to you.” Just to prove his point, he kisses Dean’s thigh a few more times before biting him, sucking to leave a nice dark bruise. “And I love my baby boy too.”

There’s a moment of silence, then Dean lets out his deepest moan yet, legs coming up to wrap around Daddy’s body. He never thought a bite would be a good thing, but as he looks at the mark on his thigh, Dean decides he wants more. “Mark me, Daddy. Make sure everyone knows that I’m yours.”

“Whatever my baby boy wants.” Daddy looks up at him with heavy eyes before lowering his head to start licking and sucking at his thighs. Every time his head moves, Dean can see another dark bruise left on his skin, and he wonders if there’s anything he can do to make them last even longer.

Dean rolls his hips, trying to get some other type of stimulation to his body. His thighs feel amazing and are now super sensitive, but now he wants more. “Touch me, Daddy,” he demands, not caring if the result is a punishment because a punishment means more contact.

Castiel immediately stops, smirking at the whine and pout Dean shows when he sits back on his heels. “You have to make up your mind, baby boy. Do you want me to go fast or slow? Do you want me to mark you or touch you somewhere else?”

How is he supposed to decide? Daddy has him all wound up from just kissing him and biting him and now he wants him to think enough to make a decision? “I want everything, Daddy. I want you to make me feel good, and then I want to make you feel good.” He’d let Daddy feel good first, but Dean can’t really concentrate until he gets off first.

He leans down to press a kiss to Dean’s lips, sharing a moment of softness before he starts moving things forward again. As much as slow gives him time to savor, Castiel wants more than that right now. They can always do slow later, when he’s in a better mood for it.

Still kissing his mate, Castiel starts stroking his cock, feeling his mate grow harder and harder with each pass. When he starts leaking, providing the lube they need to make things smoother, Castiel starts moving his hand faster until Dean shouts into the kiss, body shuddering as he cums all over Castiel’s fist.

“So, so good,” Dean announces, slumping back into the mattress before wrapping limp arms around Daddy to give him one last sloppy kiss. It’ll take a moment for him to get his energy back, but then he’ll take care of Daddy. “Always so good for me.”

Castiel smiles at the flash of pride that fills him, glad that he can keep his mate satisfied and happy. He rolls over to his back when Dean pushes at his shoulders, manifesting his wings under him so that Dean can play with them. He might feel the pleasure from the contact, but he’s pretty sure the contact does just as much for his mate.

“What are you going to do to me baby boy?” Castiel smiles up at him, curious about his plans. No matter what Dean does, he always manages to please him.

Dean bites his lip, trying to think it through. He wants to do something more special than just a hand job. Daddy’s amazing at doing that for him, but he’s not so good at doing it for Daddy. And last time he gave him a blow job, so he wants to do something different, mix it up and keep it different. His tail smacks against his thigh, giving him the perfect answer.

“I’m going to use my tail on you,” Dean announces, running it up Daddy’s thigh and getting a small moan in response. “You use your hands so well for me, but I’m going to use my tail. Rub it all over you, maybe even rub it in you.”

That earns him an even bigger moan, so Dean is definitely going to do that. Whatever he can to make Daddy cum as hard as he did, Dean will do. Not only does he like to repay Daddy for making him feel amazing, he likes to see that happy look on his face when he cums.

Dean moves back down the bed, planning to start with kisses. Just like Daddy did, he presses little kisses all over his balls. When that’s not enough, he kisses his cock as well, wanting to spread the love. As he does, Dean uses his tail to start pressing at Daddy’s entrance, teasing him there too. The more sensations the better.

Castiel rolls his hips, not sure whether he should push up into Dean’s mouth and fingers or down into his tail. Both feel amazing, and he can’t decide which one feels best. “So good for me, baby boy.”

Praise works best because it pushes Dean to move from kissing to sucking, swallowing as much of his cock as he can in one blow. There’s a lot more mouth involved than he was expecting when Dean mentioned his tail, but Castiel doesn’t really care where the pleasure comes from as long as it’s from his mate.

Dean pulls his mouth off Daddy’s cock with a pop to say, “Going to make you feel even more amazing in a moment Daddy.” A wave of his hand summons the lube to him. He opens the bottle to pour it out on his tail when he has a better idea.

Walking on his knees, Dean stops by Daddy’s head, tail wiggling along his chest. “Want to help me out, Daddy? You’re hands feel so much better on me than mine do.”

How could he say no to that? The smirk on Dean’s face, the playful glint in his eyes, Castiel will do anything his baby boy asks when he looks like that. “Of course. Bring your pretty little tail up here.”

He expects Dean to just move it around, but instead, Dean shifts his whole body, putting his ass in Castile’s face and wiggling his tail right in front of his nose. “Is this better, Daddy?”

Damn. Just how many times can he say that one word? Each time it sends a jolt through his body, ending in his cock, making him even harder. His baby boy knows just what buttons to push to fill him with need.

“It’s perfect, baby.” Castiel grabs the lube and starts slicking up Dean’s tail, watching the way his mate reacts. Every touch of his fingers results in a moan or a whimper or a twitch. The way he’s reacting, you’d think Castiel was touching his dick.

The twitching makes it hard to get the lube on his tail, but Castiel manages because he knows it’s worth it. Once he can no longer keep ahold of Dean’s tail, Castiel tosses the lube aside and take a moment to appreciate the beauty in front of him.

Because Dean’s ass is amazing. Tight and round and perfectly plump, the only thing that’ll make it better is a light pink blush from his hand. Once he has the idea, he has to see it, so he spanks Dean once, twice, watching the flesh jiggle and pinken as expected.

“Daddy!” Dean glances back over his shoulder with a scandalized look. “What did I do wrong? Why’d you spank me?”

“Because I could, baby boy.” Castiel sits up while turning Dean around in his lap so he can press several kisses to his face. “Because seeing your skin all pink and warm makes me very happy.” And very, very horny.

Well, when he puts it that way… “Okay, Daddy, but I get to do the rest of the work. This is me working for you. You don’t have to do anything.” Dean wants to make sure that Daddy feels as good as he does all the time.

Focused on his task, Dean looks down between his legs to make sure that his tail wraps around Daddy’s cock nice and tight. It’s still super hard, but he jacks it a few times just to be sure before pulling his tail away and replacing it with his hand. His tail moves a little lower, pressing against Daddy’s opening.

“Yes, Dean,” Daddy says, legs spreading and hips shifting to make it even easier for Dean’s tail to press inside. “Feels pretty damn good inside me.”

Dean presses slowly, moaning when the tip pops in and slowly slides deeper inside his Daddy. It’s hot and tight and awesome, but it’s also distracting him because this isn’t about him. He starts thrusting back and forth while looking for that one spot inside Daddy that will make him see stars.

“Yes!” Daddy throws his head back against the pillow just as Dean finds that one spot that feels just a little different, different enough to be found over and over again. So Dean does, driving Daddy crazy each time, his breathing picking up and wings fluttering like crazy.

Each motion has their cocks rubbing up against each other, and Dean realizes that he’s been missing an opportunity. Reaching down, Dean wraps his hand around both of them, plenty of precum there to ease his way.

“So much, baby boy,” Daddy says, wrapping his hand around Dean’s in their laps to add even more pressure to their dicks. “So much pleasure, so good doing this for me.”

“Only you, Daddy, only you,” Dean promises him because he can’t imagine ever being this close to someone other than Daddy.

“Damn right.” Castiel pulls Dean in for a bruising kiss, wanting to ensure that he knows just who he belongs to even as their bodies show it with every motion. The kiss happens at the same time the tip of Dean’s tail hits his prostate just right and their hands tighten in their laps. Both mates gasp into kiss while cumming all over their hands, bodies tensing and stiffening as the sensations continue because they don’t separate.

Eventually the aftershocks end, and they pull apart to lie next to each other on the bed. Castiel wants to do nothing more than just curl up and sleep with his mate, but he knows they need to clean up first. Stuck in Hell, it’s easier to get up and get a cloth than to clean magically, so he drags himself out of bed to clean them off quickly.

Dean mutters random noises and makes grabby hands at Castiel, not stopping until he pulls Dean back to his chest and wraps his wings around them. They don’t say anything because they don’t need to. They’ve already said everything they need to say, and they’ll say it again in the morning and every day forever because that’s their love.


	41. Chapter 41

Sam stands at the top of the stairs and looks down at the sixteen humans sitting around the kitchen table. It’s both more and fewer people than he expected to see two years into the project. For some reason he figured it’d either be a complete flop or a raging success, not something in the middle. But they’re helping people, and that’s all that matters no matter how many people it is.

“They look comfortable.” He smiles at the arm that wraps around his waist. He and Gabe have gotten a lot more comfortable around each other as they spend more time together. “It’s not happy, but it’s a Hell of a lot better than terrified and traumatized.”

Nodding in agreement, Sam leans into the angel at his side, relaxing for the last moment before the day begins. Today, he has to do inventory of the entire shelter, and he is not looking forward to it. “It’s progress.”

“And it’s you doing a good thing.” Gabriel’s had plenty of time to get to know Sam over the last two years, and he has a better idea of what to say. Sam doesn’t necessarily want praise, but being told that he’s doing good things, that he’s helping people, that it’s positive work, that makes him happy, makes him glow.

“Thanks for saying that. I know that we are, can see it every time they accomplish something new or they smile, but sometimes, it’s nice to hear it,” Sam admits, hugging Gabriel back. “What are your plans for the day?”

Gabriel doesn’t have a fixed position at the shelter, kind of a floater, helping out where needed and always on alert. He can do what he wants, and he often takes advantage of that to court Sam even if Sam doesn’t know that’s what he’s doing. “Well, if I remember correctly, you’re doing inventory today. Want some help?”

He’d just announce that he’s going to help, but Sam has to accept an offer for it to be a gift. Some of the rules to courting are odd and confusing, but he’s slowly learning his way. Part of it is about showing you care, that you think about the other, that you want to make their life easier. Given the amount of work Sam has, there’s plenty of things for Gabriel to offer to do, and any time he shops, he tries to find something small for Sam. Last he saw his room, Gabriel noticed he still has plenty of the little gifts.

Sam considers it because he’s not sure he really needs the help, but it’d be nice to have some company. “If you’re sure you don’t have anything else to do, I’d love to work with you.” He enjoys spending time with Gabe, watching his eyes sparkle when he tells some silly story, trying to make people laugh. Of all the angels in the shelter, he’s the best at making the humans lighten up, understanding their humor better than anyone else.

“Then we’ll work together, but breakfast first. You need to keep your strength up.” Sam decided to start learning more human magic, easier to do on Earth than angelic magic, so he can defend himself out on the streets. While they don’t live in a bad part of town per say, it also isn’t the nicest part of town, and he looks young and weak, like an easy target. Gabriel has been learning the same magic alongside him, but he has experience fighting and strategizing that Sam lacks, so he teaches.

Sam heads down the stairs knowing Gabe will follow him as they enter the kitchen to get food. He smiles at Benjy, the angel in charge of the kitchen, while grabbing a bowl of cereal. It might not be the most filling breakfast, but it really tastes good, and Sam knows his body can work with it.

Gabriel goes for something a little more balanced, eggs and sausage along with some toast. He knows he can work just fine on the sugary sweet cereal Sam prefers, but he likes the taste of the wholesome food. If he’s going to eat sugar, he’s going to eat it straight.

He really should stock up on lollipops.

“What’s the plan for today?” Miri looks between the little demon and the archangel, wondering yet again what the relationship between them is. If she didn’t know better, she’d say Gabriel was courting the boy, officially so. Not sure it’ll work since the kid won’t know how to react in response since he hasn’t been taught the rules. Whatever, it’s his life.

“Inventory,” Sam announces while wrinkling his nose at the idea. “I’m sure there’s a spell that exists somewhere to make the job easier, but I haven’t found it yet.”

“And we’re still trying to avoid unnecessary magic,” Gabriel reminds him. “While it’s time consuming, we don’t want to use too much magic and draw attention to ourselves or let the humans become dependent on it either.”

“Would that be so bad?” Jennifer leans closer to the heads of the shelter, feeling brave this morning. Normally she tends to avoid them, but they just look so relaxed today that she finds herself willing to talk to them. “For us to use magic?”

Gabriel shrugs, not really sure of the answer. “Depends. If you have magical abilities, using them isn’t the end of the world. Then again, using magic indicates that you’re aware of the supernatural elements of the world, potentially making you a likely target for demons. Humans with magical abilities are more in demand.”

Jennifer is not going back to Hell, no fucking way, so that puts an end to her desire to use magic. “Guess we’ll just do life the traditional way then, by hand. It’s how I used to do it, so it’s not like I can’t keep doing things that way.”

It might be easier to use magic, but Larissa agrees with Jennifer. She’s not doing anything that increases her chances of being taken again. “Do you normally do everything with magic?” It’s easier to ask the young one even though she’s pretty sure he’s not an angel like the others. No one will say, but they haven’t confirmed it which is why she’s suspicious.

“A lot of things, yes.” Sam eats a few bites of cereal before swallowing to explain. “Somethings are just easier, like summoning an item to you instead of getting up to get it. Sure, it’s a little lazy, but it’s easier. Other things, magic makes them easier, but they might be preferable by hand, like cooking. It always tastes better when done by hand.”

“Other things are done more for show, like decorations and assisting visitors during a party,” Gabriel explains, remembering some of the really fancy gatherings he went to long ago. “Just because we can do it with magic doesn’t mean we do. It all comes down to the individual angel’s preference.”

Larissa figures magic is kind of like money. You can wave it around and use it to get out of work but that doesn’t mean you always do it. Not that she has a lot of experience with having lots of money, but she understands the concept. “So, inventory by hand. I’ve got classes today, but if you need any help, let me know. It could be a nice break.”

Sam has no idea how doing the inventory might be considered a break, but if you’re not a fan of learning, he supposes he can understand the concept at least a little. Do one chore long enough and even another chore is nice simply because it’s a break. “Thanks. I’ll work with Gabe today, but we’ll let you know if we can use some help.”

They spend the rest of breakfast discussing the women’s classes and what they want to do with the knowledge. Larissa just wants a bachelor’s degree so that she has it while applying for jobs, but she’s not too picky about the topic. Her goal is to be a bodyguard, make sure that she can protect others from anything.

That’s the only magic she’ll do, things to warn her if demons are around so she can react properly. Those spells are passive, just sitting around until activated, so they shouldn’t throw off too much of a magical scent. At least that what she’s been learning.

Jennifer wants to be a nurse even though the number of classes sucks. If she can survive Hell, she can survive medical school and internships. She likes working with Aviva when she stops by the shelter to talk medicine, and Bracha is a great teacher as well.

Eventually Sam can’t delay any longer, and he gets up to rinse his bowl and leave it in the sink. Whoever’s on kitchen duty today will get it in the dishwasher and have it run. Gabe follows him as they start in the medical rooms.

Bracha looks up when the two arrive and smiles at the unhappy look on Sam’s face. He hates doing the monthly inventory, but she gives him credit for continuing to do it even though he hates it. As the head of the shelter, he could easily foist it off on someone else, but he pulls his own weight. “I’ll head out and leave you to it.”

Gabriel nods and moves out of the way for her to head out wherever she spends her time off. “Ready?” He starts opening the cabinets and drawers, the process that they came up with back when they started doing inventory. They’ll close up as they go.

Sam shakes his head but says, “Ready.” No point in delaying any longer. It takes them several hours, but they have an accurate count of bandages, cold compresses, medicines, and more. Anything even remotely related to medicine and healing humans, minus serious equipment, they have it because as angels, they don’t really know everything a human needs.

The next step is the kitchens. Fresh food gets delivered every week, but supplies like flour and sugar are only ordered when necessary. Sam doesn’t mind this portion of the inventory as much because it gives him a chance to think of new things to make. He rotates through the kitchen every other week or so, not willing to give up cooking just because he’s in charge.

“We should make hamburgers for dinner soon,” Sam decides as he checks their supply of frozen ground beef. “Dean uses it as a special dinner, but humans seem to treat them as a more common meal. And I miss them.”

Part of the reason he misses them is because they remind him of his brother as they don’t see each other as often as they used to. Dean still lives in Heaven, and he visits Hell often to visit Castiel. Sam lives on Earth and only rarely goes back to Heaven since he doesn’t need to anymore. Maybe they should try to see each other more often.

“Then we can do hamburgers soon,” Gabriel decides with a little shrug. No one’s going to argue against that, especially if Sam offers to cook them. “We’ll have to add some supplies to the list so that we have what we need, but we can easily have them for dinner if you’d like.”

Sam nods, already adding the ingredients they need to the list. He hopes that everyone else likes burgers as much as he does, “Do you think we could invite Dean for dinner too? And Castiel too, of course,”

Gabriel likes the idea, but he has to shake his head no. “They’re pretty busy at the moment preparing to deal with attacks from Wrath as he tries to retake the territory we angels took when he was at his weakest after the transition of power. Even if they wanted to come, I doubt they’d be able to make it.”

That really sucks, now that he’s thinking about seeing his brother again, but Sam just shrugs. He can make better plans later down the road for when everyone will be free. “Alright. We should do something like what I saw online, offering everyone a variety of toppings so we can make our own fancy burgers.”

He knows they can do that, so Gabriel just works to figure out what furniture they’ll need to lay out all the options. And he starts to think about taking Sam down to Hell to visit Cassie and Dean. Just because they can’t take the time to leave Hell doesn’t mean he and Sam can’t take the time to visit them in Hell.

It shouldn’t take too long to plan, not at all.


	42. Chapter 42

Head down, the demon sits still at the base of its master’s throne, not wanting to gather any attention. Attention means having to do things the demon doesn’t want to do, so the demon stays quiet. Besides, the quieter the demon is, the more gossip it hears.

“Wrath is attacking the angels,” a demon gushes, checking her nails to make sure that they still look perfect. She was busy fingering herself earlier, and although she wants to make sure her scent lingers to pull in a partner later on, her nails still need to be amazing. “Apparently he was able to kill a lot of them but wasn’t able to get what he wanted.”

“What did he want?” another demon asks, leaning against the first and twining their tails together. Skin to skin contact like that keeps them just on the edge of arousal, perfect for them. “If he wanted territory, he just had to blow up all the angels and refuse to leave. Can’t be that hard.”

The first demon looks around, making sure no aristocrats are around to overhear. Everyone knows demons gossip, but you never want to risk being the one who knows and says something you’ll get killed for. “Serious hardware, stuff that can kill dozens of angels with one blow.”

Grant scoffs, not impressed. “Any bomb can do that, so what’s so impressive about this specific one he tried to get?”

“It’s targeted,” Zoe explains, checking again that no aristocrats are around. “You point it around and it attacks just the things you target, even after they move. So even if the angels try to run away, they’ll still get hit.”

“Which means no demons will be killed.” Unless their master wants them dead of course. “Who the Hell has the power to make something like that?” Sure, Lucifer easily could, but he wouldn’t do that. Even while ruling Hell, he still felt some ties to Heaven and angels.

Zoe shrugs with a couple of guesses but not wanting to speculate out loud. Everyone knows about the demons even older than Lucifer, created by God Himself, and you don’t want to risk drawing their attention by saying their name. The Sins probably could do it too, if they all banded together.

“Who knows now? The more interesting question is, how many weapons like that exist, and who controls them?” If the Sins controlled them, Zoe would expect there to be fewer angels in Hell, but what does she know? She’s not a warrior.

The demon sitting at its master’s throne keeps its head bowed, hiding its expressions. The old weapons are coming into play again? Their appearance would change many factors and perhaps even the balance of power among players in Hell. Wielded properly, they can be used to kill demons as well as angels, as long as you know what you’re doing.

And the demon definitely knows what to do.

But first, power and energy. Wielding the ancient weapons requires a good deal of power and energy, something the demon doesn’t have much of at the moment. Smart masters keep their slaves at the lowest levels possible while still permitting them to do their job. The demon’s master is one of the smart ones, so the demon needs to start stealing more energy.

As Grant and Zoe keep talking, the demon reaches out to take just a little energy. It’s enough for the demon to feel the difference, to have something to store in reserves that the demon can hide from its Master. Its victims might feel a little more tired at the end of the day, but not tired enough to worry about it.

Zoe twitches a little which tells the demon that Zoe’s lost enough energy for now. The demon focuses on Grant until he too twitches, signalling the end of the demon’s theft for the day. It’s not as much as the demon wanted, but it’s better than nothing. And it can all be hidden away, so it won’t be stolen by its Master.

When the two leave, the demon wishes that it could leave with them, but the shackle around its ankle keeps it in place. There’s enough chain for it to reach the bathroom and the thin mattress along the wall, but it’s not much freedom. Better than death, the demon supposes, but not by much.

Master isn’t in at the moment, so the demon takes the opportunity to practice, to build some strength. Even with a chain and shackle, there are plenty of exercises the demon can do. If the body isn’t strong enough to channel the magic, it doesn't matter how much magic one thinks they can use.

After physical exercise, it’s time for magic. There’s not much magic the demon can do because the shackle includes spells to dampen its magic. Running through basic spells that can be done keeps magic flowing through the demon’s body, so it’s better than nothing. As long as the channels are kept clean, greater volumes of magic should run through them just fine.

None of this is ideal, but the demon has managed to make it work. Energy builds slowly but surely and hidden so that when the chance comes, the demon will be ready to run or attack. The demon gathers information to determine when that opportunity may come, so that nothing will surprise it. No, this isn’t what the demon wanted, but it’s making it work.

With time, the demon will win. No one can keep this demon down forever. Any demon can go far with the right drive, and this demon has that drive. Now, it just comes down to patience, to waiting for the perfect moment.

It’ll come eventually.

\----------

Back in his territory, Paimon paces the throne room, pissed off and slightly confused. How the Hell did the angels know enough to take the weapons hidden in the armory? They’re demon designed and can only be used by demons, so the angels shouldn’t be able to pick up on them. He tosses a ball of energy at the wall, venting.

“How, Jacob?” He turns to his advisor, one of the smartest people he knows among his top demons. “How did they know?”

Jacob shrugs. He doesn’t have enough information about what Wrath was hoping to find, but he can guess. “Weapons like those carry the stench of angelic blood. With enough focus, any angel can find them.” Especially the seraphim and archangels rumored to be down in Hell. “And they likely have spells to track demonic magic.”

“What about the demons they have working for them?” Furfur stays back behind several other nobles, not feeling the need to be seen while poking at sore spots. The demons might be Greed’s kids, but most of the Sins feel pretty stupid for not realizing that his kids were up for grabs for several years. “Could they find the weapons?”

Paimon bares his teeth at the reminder of Greed’s stupidity. Not only did he let someone take his two kids, he made a deal with the angels that prevents him from taking them back. “Probably. They are demons after all, and they have the senses of a Duke, if they work to build up their skills.”

“But I doubt it,” Jacob adds in, not sure if they want to hear that but knowing that they need to hear it. “From what I understand from talking to my counterparts with the other Sins, especially Baserus, no one has sensed the children on their demons after fights with the angels. Best as anyone can tell, the children remain in Heaven.”

“As they should,” Furfur growls, pissed at the idea of a Sin’s child running around Hell with angels. It’s bad enough that the angels have them, but seeing them working together in Hell would just be rubbing their noses in it. If they are in Hell, he’ll do his damndest to kill them if their paths cross.

Paimon doesn’t want to hear anymore about the damned kids. “Send out your scouts then. I knew about that weapon because I used to patrol those caverns. Information like this will be hoarded to make sure no one tries to steal the weapons, but I want them.” He kind of needs them, but he isn’t going to admit that. “If you can find me a super weapon to use against the angels, there’ll be something in it for you.”

Furfur perks up at that. Wrath might have shown some of his strengths and abilities in putting down the rest of Abaddon’s supporters, but Furfur still isn’t entirely sold on him. At least he knows how to motivate a demon. He’ll have to send out his own scouts to chase the rumors he’s been keeping track of over the centuries.

The nobles all around him nod and start talking back and forth. Paimon hears a few things that sound promising to him, and he tries to contain a grin. He’ll get these angels eventually. Leaving them to talk about it, he selects a few nobles to head to a back room to discuss things a little more in depth for their next attack.

“Are we waiting for you to find one of those weapons before attacking again?” Micah really hopes they aren’t because they need to strike now, when the angels are still reeling from the attack today.

“No, we can’t afford to,” Paimon announces, getting nods in agreement. “While it’d be more efficient with the weapons, we need to keep moving forward. Where do we strike next?”

“Same place,” Heath declares, leaning back against the wall. “If we head in there, we can leave equipment and medical supplies and such since I seriously doubt the angels will come back to that space. It gives us a base that doesn’t require a portal to access it.”

“And if the angels have already moved back into that space?” Morax doesn’t want to be a downer, but someone has to be realistic. “Sure, we can clear them out again, but if they start to think we value that space in particular, anyone there will be sitting ducks.”

Paimon waves that off, not too concerned about that. “The angels don’t value specific territory, just the amount they have. They’ll give up something we stubbornly go for just to take something we aren’t holding as well. We’ll clear them out again, and if they choose to be really picky, we can always give it up. We don’t need that space in particular.”

Morax nods in agreement, looking over to see Furfur’s reaction. Of all the demons working closely with Paimon, they’re the oldest which gives them a different perspective on things. While both of them are more than willing to rip the angels to shreds, but they also know the value of drawing back when they aren’t likely to win.

Feeling eyes on him, Furfur looks over to Morax. Their eyes meet, and they seem to be thinking the same way. No point in attacking the angels if they won’t get anything out of it. He’s not entirely sure why he’s so gung ho about the damn angels when they could easily get that much territory from demons, but he’s the Sin.

“Micah, you gather the equipment for setting up a base camp once we arrive. Furfur, if you could please spread the new plan to the others. Everyone, make sure your troops are resupplied and replaced.” Everyone lost men, but there are always more to take their places. “We will attack exactly two days from last time.”

Hopefully that’s quick enough that the angels can’t prepare for it. Paimon doesn’t know how long it’ll take them to plan, how slow their procedures are, but he can only hope that demons move faster. They have more of an incentive too, attacking being the harder job, and Paimon doesn't want another failure.

This time they’ll get the territory back under their control. Paimon refuses to accept anything else, and he knows his demons are capable of this. They will do it.


	43. Chapter 43

Castiel wakes up wrapped around his mate, and he takes a moment to breathe in his scent, loving the fact that he’s in his arms. Thank everything that they got permission for Dean to visit him more often. But as much as he wants to stay in bed all day, they have work to do.

He leans in to nuzzle against Dean’s neck, starting to wake up his mate. Dean lets out a little noise, pulling away just a bit from the motion. Castiel follows him, pressing a kiss to the shell of his ear. “Time to wake up, baby boy.”

“Daaaaaddy.” It’s a moaned complaint, and Castiel smiles at the whine from his mate even as he rolls over in his arms to press a kiss to his chest. “I don’t wanna get up. Wanna spend the whole day here with you.”

“But we have to go tell Michael and Lucifer just how smart you are so we can stop Wrath in his tracks,” Castiel reminds him, hands running all along his back. The touches might be counter productive, but he can’t help himself. A warm, willing mate in his arms just begs for touching.

Dean nuzzles into Daddy’s chest, eyes still closed because he really doesn’t want to get up. He knows they can’t stay in bed forever though, so he shifts to sit up, Daddy’s wings separating to make room for him. “Do we get breakfast?”

“Of course. And I’ll make sure you can get whatever you want.” Castiel’s pretty good friends with Yonit, and he knows she’s had a soft spot for Dean ever since she met him when he was first rescued by the angels.

“I want muffins,” Dean announces while bouncing his way off the bed. A quick stretch and then a wave of his hand for clothing, then he’s ready to go. “Come on, Daddy.”

Castiel dresses in a similar fashion then lets Dean take his hand to pull him through the corridors until they reach the kitchen. Lucifer and Michael are already seated and eating, waving when Castiel enters with Dean. Even with all the angels eating, there’s plenty of seats around them.

“Morning, Yonit!” Dean beams up at the angel, trying to get her in a good mood with him without feeling like he’s manipulating her. Smiling isn’t a bad thing, is it?

“Morning, Dean.” A smile that big, she knows he’s going to ask for something, but Yonit doesn’t really mind. He’s a sweet kid, and he deserves a little pampering after what he went through. “What can I get you for breakfast?”

“Do you have muffins? Big muffins, banana nut with chocolate chips?” Those are Dean’s favorite, but he’ll take any muffin to be honest.

Yonit figures he must have amazing luck because she just made a batch of those the night before. With a little flick of her hand, she summons one to present him a plate and a muffin that she heats up to make it perfect. “For you.”

Dean beams at her, throwing his arms around Yonit for a big hug before nabbing the muffin and heading out to sit next to Lucifer. She watches him with a smile before creating a plate of sausage, eggs, and toast for Castiel.

“He looks like he’s doing well,” she tells him as he takes the plate from her.

“Very well,” Castiel says, pretty sure he’s correct. “There are things we’re still working on, like spending more time together, but overall everything seems to be pretty good.”

“He deserves it,” Yonit tells him, watching the kid joke around with the archangels. “And his brother? How is he?”

Castiel hesitates, not entirely sure how to answer that. “His shelter project is coming along well, but he’s pretty quiet about himself. I think he’s doing alright, but I can’t really say. Gabriel might have a better answer for you.” Not only is he Sam’s mate, but he spends more time with Sam since he’s at the shelter as well.

“Perhaps I’ll find a way to visit them and check in for myself.” Yonit hears about Sam more than sees him, but she still wants to make sure he’s alright. There’s something about those two that keeps her interested.

Castiel smiles at the idea. “Just let me know when, and I’ll do my best to help it happen.” Yonit nods, and he heads over to join his family for breakfast. He lets the conversation flow over him, not paying too much attention to Lucifer’s whining about something.

“Anyone come up with a new plan for dealing with Wrath?” Michael asks when there’s a lull in the conversation.

“Dean did,” Castiel announces, lifting his arm so that Dean can huddle into his side. Fully capable, yet his mate can get a little shy whenever he’s praised. He runs through the plan Dean came up with the night before. “It isn’t necessarily perfect, but it hasn’t been tried before, so it’s worth a shot.”

Lucifer starts nodding, a fan of the plan already. “Demons expect to fight the moment the burst through a portal. If they come through and find nothing, they’ll be confused, and it’ll give us a perfect moment to attack.”

“Have you tried this before?” Michael isn’t so sure that he likes the plan yet, but he’s willing to give it a chance. “Have you left a territory empty to startle your opponent?”

Lucifer shakes his head with a little shrug. “Nope, but it makes sense to me. I’ve fought with and against enough demons that I’m pretty sure I know how they’re most likely to react.”

Michael thinks about it for a moment before approving. “Might as well try it. If we keep doing the same thing over and over, it’s not likely to change anything.” Sam’s trying something new, so why can’t they try something new?

“Can I fight with you?” Dean asks, eyes wide and hopeful. “I can defend myself, and if we’re ambushing them, there’s even less of a chance that I’m going to get hurt.”

Castiel does not want his mate involved with this, but he also knows that he can’t keep Dean out of the battles forever. A quick glance tells him that Michael and Lucifer will leave it up to him. “You can  _ if  _ you stay near me the entire time.”

Dean feels his eyes widen even more as he gives Cas a huge hug. “Thank you!” He can totally work to stay near Cas the entire time. Besides, if he does that, he can help make sure nothing happens to Cas. “I’ll stay with you the whole time, I promise.”

“Good.” Castiel kisses the top of his head before continuing with his breakfast.

“As interesting as that sounds,” Sigal takes a seat next to Dean, ruffling his hair, “I’d like to duck out of that battle.” She takes a few more bites of her eggs while everyone stares at her. “Wrath’s going to be focused on us and the territory we hold, and I’d like to head into his territory from another angle to see if we can find anymore of those weapons.”

“More of what weapons?” Michael asks wondering if this relates to that empty space left in the armory after Wrath fled.

“Angel killing weapons,” Lucifer says before Sigal can respond. “I forgot about them when we were in the armory, but making it plural reminds me. The Sins all created weapons that could target an angel, wouldn’t kill any demons, and could still kill the angel even if the angel moved out of the way.”

Sigal nods along with his words. “Rumor has it, the magic can be altered, targeting demons instead of angels, but we haven’t been able to figure that out.”

“You have some of these weapons?” Lucifer lost track of them after he returned to Heaven, and he hasn’t paid enough attention to news from Hell to learn more.

“Just two,” Sigal reports with a grimace. “We had four, but we ruined two of them while trying to figure out how they work and make them target demons instead of angels.”

This sounds like something he could help with. As he pays more and more attention, Lucifer realizes just how much he could help with if he got his head out of his ass. “Once I figure out how to link to Hell so that we get warnings related to portals, I’ll see if I can help you with that.”

“Thanks.” Sigal likes Lucifer, but she’s not entirely sure how she feels about him being so involved with their work in Hell. Sure, he has lots of info for them, but there’s a reason he hasn’t been too active since he returned to Heaven. “You know how to get in touch with me.”

He does, so he gives her a thumbs up while Michael touches base with her to figure out her plan so that it works with Castiel’s new plan. It’s bold, pulling out of the territory only to then ambush Wrath’s demons, but he really does think it will work.

Once done with Michael, Sigal waves at them before heading off to gather her troops for the secondary attack. Dean watches her leave before turning back to Lucifer. “You’re trying to link to Hell? Why?” He was born in Hell but even he wouldn’t want to link to Hell. “And what exactly does that mean?”

“All of the physical walls of Hell are imbued with magic, almost as much magic as they are rock,” Lucifer explains, shifting to face the kid more directly. “So you can literally link yourself to Hell. It’s been awhile since I was active in Hell, especially with demonic magic, so it’ll take some time for the magic to recognize me again and give me the updates I want.”

“Kind of like how I could pull on the magic in Greed?” Dean wonders if he can help Lucifer link up to Hell sooner. It’s interesting though, who’s got the better connection, the one who created all of this or one born into it. Time plays a huge factor too, but even if Lucifer’s been away longer, he was also in Hell a lot longer too.

“Exactly like that,” Lucifer tells him. Sure, Sam’s the one who researches everything and knows almost everything, it seems, but that doesn’t mean Dean isn’t smart in his own right. “You could probably create the same connection here even though it isn’t Greed’s territory. As the son of a Sin, you’d have the raw power necessary to connect anywhere in Hell.”

As Dean cocks his head like he’s considering the idea, Castiel exchanges a look with Michael. They’re both in the same situation, loving a mate with a few more connections to Hell than they really like. Not that there’s anything they can do about it, and they certainly can’t ban their mates from acting in Hell.

“Well, if you’re volunteering to do that, then I’ll try to help,” Dean offers, “but I don’t think it’d be a good idea for me to do the same. I’m still in Heaven too often and not that connected to this part of Hell.”

Thank Heaven he isn’t trying to join Lucifer’s madness. “I’ll work with Michael to clear out the territory to set the trap for Wrath,” Castiel announces, “and you two can work to set up the warning system. Once one of us is done, we can join the other to see if we can support them.”

“Perfect.” They’re both done eating, so Lucifer stands and pulls Dean to his feet as well. “We’ll see you later.”

Dean pulls away from Lucifer for a moment to give Cas a big hug then heads out with Lucifer. They’re going to set up a warning system for the angels to make sure that they’re as safe as possible. Totally worth it and doing more demonic magic. And if it doesn’t work, they can always ask Sam if he has any advice.

Sam knows everything, doesn’t he?


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to advise of something based on a recent comment. Sam and Gabe are a very slow burn. Sam learns about his past abuse, and he's mostly focused on his shelter. On top of that, he doesn't know much about sex, and he doesn't like not knowing things, so he's nervous. When he hits his stride, there will be plenty going on, but until then, it's going to be very slow going.   
> And once this is done, there will probably be plenty of one shots with these two as well. 
> 
> Things will pick up soonish though, I promise.

After dinner, Gabriel makes sure Sam gets to bed then heads down to Hell. He doesn’t want Sam to worry if he finds him missing, hence making sure he’s already asleep. Gabriel knows he’s in angelic territory by the lingering traces of magic in the air, but he keeps a hand on his sword just in case.

Eventually he manages to find Cassie in the kitchen, not where he expected to find him. With Dean visiting at the moment, he expected them to be in their room and Michael and Lucifer to be in the kitchen.

“Hey, Gabriel.” Castiel pushes the tray of cookies over to his brother, inviting him to sit down. “What are you doing down here?”

“Coming to ask if you’re up for visitors.” Gabriel takes one of the cookies, enjoying the rush of sugar. “Sam would like to have a dinner with you and Dean, but it’s too hard for you all to come visit us on Earth, so we’ll come to you.”

Castiel wonders just how far Gabriel will go to make Sam happy. This really isn’t that much, just a family dinner, but Gabriel really doesn’t like visiting Hell. “We’re expecting an attack from Wrath in the next few days, so we might want to put that off a bit.”

“You’re going to be waiting for an attack until Wrath decides to give up,” Gabriel counters, understanding Cassie’s point but not wanting to delay too long either. “How long do you think that’ll take?”

Well… Castiel explains Dean’s plan, the one he and Michael prepared earlier today. “Hopefully that’s enough to convince Wrath to attack demons rather than us.”

It’s an interesting plan, but Gabriel has a feeling it’ll be at least somewhat successful. It might not prevent Wrath from attacking them again, but it should definitely result in a lot of demons gone. “How about a week from now? Wrath seems like a guerrilla fighter based on the way you talked about his attacks on demons, so hopefully he backs off by then.”

Might be backing off just to regroup and attack again, but it’ll still be a break.

“A week sounds fine,” Castiel concedes knowing that Gabriel won’t back down when it comes to doing something for his mate. “Before you come down though, send a message to make sure that we’re still clear for dinner. I don’t want you to come down to the middle of a battle.” Gabriel can handle himself, but he’s not so sure about Sam.

“I will definitely do that.” Gabriel hugs his brother, lingering for a moment. “Thank you.”

Castiel tightens his arms so Gabriel can’t just pull away and leave. “I know where you’re coming from. Very different situations, but I understand the need to make your mate happy.” He’s not sure who has it harder, Gabriel trying to win over someone rather oblivious to his feelings or him trying to turn away feelings without hurting his mate.

It’s not a contest, and they both have pretty crappy situations. Castiel got what he was looking for eventually, and he knows Gabriel will find that with Sam eventually. Just have to get Sam out of the library and help him realize just how much they all love him.

Gabriel hugs his brother even harder before finally standing up to smile at Castiel. “Thanks. I’ll go let Sam know about the plans so that he knows to make time for it. The shelter’s members can handle dinner on their own for a night.”

“They’re coming along well?” Castiel hasn’t had a chance to visit the shelter since it opened, too busy down in Hell, so he can only hope for Sam’s sake.

“Pretty well. I’ll leave the details up to Sam at dinner.” Gabriel might be helping, but this is Sam’s project.

Castiel nods, waving his brother off as he heads back to a portal to catch back to Earth. He’ll tell Dean about the plans for dinner just before it happens to make sure he isn’t too distracted. Yonit won’t mind him taking over the kitchen for the night, even on short notice.

Back on Earth, Gabriel take a moment to appreciate the breath of fresh air. It isn’t exactly perfect, too far away from Heaven for that, but anything is better than sulfur. Time doesn’t always run the same on Earth as in Hell, and it’s already dawn which means the shelter’s day will start soon. At least angels don’t need much sleep.

He waves at Enoch and Miri while entering the shelter. The gorgon’s face over the door makes him smile every time. Trust Sam to come up with an ancient human myth that most humans don’t fully know to mark his shelter. It makes sense though. The gods supposedly screwed with humans the way demons screw with humans.

And Sam’s smart enough to be the equivalent of Athena. At least his help for the humans doesn’t result in them being disfigured for life. Perhaps they could come up with something to repel demons in the future. If there are anti possession symbols, there should be something to repel demons, and they can tattoo the humans, if they want.

Inside, Gabriel heads for the kitchen where he can hear everyone talking over breakfast. Well, the morning people are talking at least. There are several who are  _ not  _ morning people, and they glare into their food until their brains catch up with their bodies.

“Morning, Sam.” Gabriel gives him a hug as he pours his bowl of cereal, stifling the urge to kiss his cheek.

Sam looks after the angel because he caught a whiff of sulfur. “Morning.” He wants to ask where Gabe was over night, but he doesn’t want to bring up Hell in front of the others. They’re progressing well, he thinks at least, but that doesn’t mean he can just talk about Hell like it’s nothing. No point in slowing down their progress.

Gabriel’s a little surprised by the lack of questions, but he figures they’ll come later. “What are your plans for the day?”

“Walking the city,” Sam announces before eating several bites. He’s never quite understood the human preference for adding milk to his cereal. It’s great the way it is fresh out of the box. “We haven’t had any issues with demons, but I want to make sure the city is still clear.”

“Are you going with anyone?” Gabriel wants to jump in and offer to go with him, but he doesn’t want to make Sam feel smothered. Or like he doesn’t trust Sam to take care of himself.

Sam has to chew and swallow before answering, wanting to be polite. “Paloma. The idea is that if people see us together, they’ll feel like they can ask her questions, make the shelter a little more approachable without having to talk to us.”

Sure enough, Sam has everything planned for both his safety and the good of the shelter. “Don’t forget to shout if you have any issues.” He doesn’t need the reminder, but Gabriel needs to say it. “Oh, and we’re due for a family dinner in a week. I’m sure Dean will find a way to make dinner for us.”

Already? That explains why Gabe smells like sulfur so early in the morning. Sam wasn’t expecting him to get an answer regarding dinner so quickly, but he certainly isn’t saying no to the idea. “Are they sure that they’ll be free for dinner then?” He can plan things out a week, but things in Hell change too rapidly for that.

“No, they’re not, but that’s the plan. If they can’t make it, then they’ll let us know, and we’ll reschedule,” Gabe says while making his own breakfast. “Hopefully it all works out though.”

Hopefully. Sam misses Dean more than he thought he would, and it’ll be nice to see Castiel and anyone else who happens to be in Hell at the time. If they’re really busy, Michael might be there, and Lucifer could be there if he’s bored. Sam wishes he had more to do with his time because he knows Lucifer can do more, but it’s not up to him.

“I’ll keep that in mind and plan for it.” To be honest, Sam’s not really sure that it’ll happen, doesn’t have much faith in it, but who knows. Maybe the angels will be good enough to convince Wrath that he really shouldn’t attack them.

They finish their breakfast without talking, the humans’ conversation enough background noise for them. There isn’t anything to say at the moment, the conversation about plans over with, and Sam’s glad that he’s comfortable with the silence now. Previously, he’d be worried that he was supposed to be saying something, that the silence is bad, but now he knows it’s just a thing that happens.

When he’s done, he grabs the glass ball that contains the SOS spell. If it shatters while the thrower feels panic, it’ll summon people for help. Sam’s pretty sure he’s the only one who always carries one when leaving, but he doesn’t mind. It helps him feel more secure, so he isn’t really arguing against it.

It’s a quick walk over to Paloma’s store, something they all appreciate. If she was too far away, it’d be harder to excuse going over to her all the time when he has questions about human magic. Sam can teach himself a lot from books, but sometimes there’s no substitute for asking someone to explain it.

“Good morning, Sam.” Paloma greets the boy as he walks through the door, smiling at the slight irritation on his face. He can’t quite figure out how she always knows when he’s there so that she can greet him early. She’s pretty sure he only checks for spells near her store when the spell actually rests just outside of the shelter.

He’ll figure it out eventually, but she’s going to enjoy his confusion until he does.

“Good morning, Paloma.” Sam still hasn’t figured out how she knows he’s coming every time before he even opens the door, but he’ll figure it out. There still aren’t any spells he can sense outside the shop, but he knows there has to be something. Next time, he’ll check the road. “Are you free enough to walk the city with me?”

Paloma wishes she had come up with this before, walking through the city to make sure that it’s free of demons. They haven’t met any yet, but they have run into a few humans who practice magic. It’s increased her presence in the magical population and the number of people coming to her shop. She just hopes they continue to not meet any demons.

“Of course. I made sure to put it in my schedule, so we’re good.” Her assistant can’t be in this morning, so she’ll just close up the shop. Any serious customers will understand why, and the curious passers by she’ll live without. “Are you ready to go?”

Sam nods, pulling out the glass ball to show her that he has what he needs. The rest of his magic is internal, and it’s too risky to carry a sword with him. If any humans saw it, trying to explain it to the police would be a disaster. Even if he made it vanish, they don’t want to deal with the human police looking too closely at the shelter.

“Any indications of danger from your customers?” he asks as Paloma locks up the store. Several months ago, she reported a lot of people looking for anti possession herbs and spells which led them to a few haunted buildings that needed clearing out.

“So far, so good.” She tucks the key into her pocket then gestures for Sam to lead the way. “After you.” Paloma watches him head away from the shop while waving her hand to activate the wards to keep everything safe. People know better than to touch her shop, but better safe than sorry. Satisfied, she follows Sam, ready to walk the city.


	45. Chapter 45

“And he went down to Hell probably that very night to arrange a family dinner,” Sam tells her, trying to work through his feelings by talking to Paloma. Sure, he could talk to any of the angels at the shelter, but Paloma seems like a safer option for some reason. “I don’t mind that he did it so quickly, but I don’t understand why. It wasn’t that important.”

Paloma feels for the boy, wondering if perhaps he might understand better if he had grown up human. “Perhaps he felt it was important because it was important to you.” It’s clear to just about everyone else how Gabriel feels about Sam, but Sam still has some learning to do. Perhaps more accurately some growing up to do.

Sam tries to figure out what she isn’t saying. Paloma sounds like she wants to say more but is holding back. He’s not sure why since he’ll understand whatever it is, but maybe he can work it out of her. “Then why didn’t he tell me that he was going down? Why make it a surprise this morning?”

“He probably he wanted to make sure that it was a good surprise,” Paloma says as they pass the grocery store. She makes a mental note to buy more apples since she’s running low at home. “If he told you and then they weren’t able to make it work, he’d disappoint you.”

“I wouldn’t be disappointed,” Sam disagrees as they move down an alley known for gangs. They might be stupid enough to accidentally summon a demon to try and build their power, so they always double check things. “It’s something above and beyond what we normally do, so it might be a bummer, but I wouldn’t be disappointed. It’ll happen eventually.”

Oh, he’s so innocent, seeing everything but not understanding it all. “Maybe he just really wants to make you happy. It might not be about the fact that you wouldn’t mind being a little bummed so much that he doesn’t want to see you bummed in the first place.”

Well, when Paloma puts it that way, Gabe’s actions make a little more sense. Sam starts thinking through all of the other things Gabe does for him. He always offers to do the smallest thing Sam might want. Almost every time he goes out, Gabe finds something that reminds him of Sam that he brings home.

No one else does that. Even the angels that seem pretty close to each other. Addai and Nirel seem to spend a lot of their free time together, but they really just spend time together. He hasn’t noticed any gift giving.

Sigal comes up to visit Enoch whenever she can which has only been twice so far. They spend time together too, and he’s sure they’re reacquainting themselves, but there’s no gift giving when she comes. There aren’t even gifts sent while they can’t be together.

If none of the other angels really do gift giving, why does Gabe give him so many things, do so much extra for him? Sam appreciates it every time, but he certainly doesn’t need it. Is Gabe expecting something in return? Has he been missing important cues and making Gabe unhappy?

Has he been doing something wrong?

Paloma watches the emotions crossing Sam’s face, noticing when they turn more negative than confused. “Gabriel is probably just trying to make you feel good, is nice to you because he wants to be. I doubt he’s looking to get anything out of it other than your smile.”

“But what if he does?” Sam takes a seat on the bench in the park, needing a moment. How did he not realize just how much Gabe was doing for him? He knows he says thank you every time, but now that he knows, he wants to reciprocate.

Sitting next to Sam, Paloma pulls the boy into her side realizing just how tall he is. He’s pretty quiet and unassuming, not the biggest personality in a room, but he’s actually several inches taller than she is. He won’t be a child much longer. “From what I can see, it’s like he’s courting you, Sam. He wants to show you how often he thinks of you, how much you mean to him, how capable he is so that he seems like a good potential mate.

“Odds are, these are old, angelic traditions and rituals. As modern and up to date as Gabriel might be, he’s still a really old angel. If he doesn’t know how to let you know he cares, falling back on tradition might have been the best option for him.” Paloma wasn’t going to say anything, but she feels a need to improve his mood after starting this conversation.

That makes Sam feel a little better since courting doesn't have to be reciprocated right away. Of course, he has to figure out his feelings before he can even consider reciprocating. He’s been getting closer to Gabe every day, and as they spend time in the shelter, he’s become even more comfortable with the angel and the little touches from him.

“How do I know how I feel?” Sam knows how he feels about Dean, lots of affection even as he frustrates or irritates him. Castiel, it’s a little more gratitude for everything he’s done but there’s also a little warm feeling in his chest when he thinks about him.

But Gabe? He doesn’t really know how he feels about the angel. Spending time with him is wonderful. It started with learning to fly and has continued as they do things around the shelter. You can feel good about spending time with lots of people though, and that doesn’t mean you’d try to court them.

“Sometimes it’s a physical thing,” Paloma tries to explain to him, “and sometimes it’s a more emotional thing, and sometimes it’s a mix of both.” She tries to come up with examples to quantify it.

“When I spend time with my sisters, it’s both. I smile more and feel happier with them. With my parents, it’s the warmer feeling in my chest because I miss them and don’t see them often. With a lover, it’s the physical flush and arousal as well as being happier. How you feel it might be different than how I feel it though.” Everyone feels things their own way.

As he thinks about it, Sam realizes that he has kind of noticed things like that. The other angels might make him happy or laugh, and the humans staying in the shelter can too. But it’s never anything more than that. A hug from Gabe makes him blush, and a gift from Gabe creates that little warmth in his chest Paloma was talking about.

“So if I have those reactions, then I have feelings for Gabe? Or at least the potential to have feelings that are more than just friendly?” Sam really wishes they were in Heaven right now so that he could start looking at things in the library. Sure, books about other people’s feelings might not be the most accurate for his feelings, but at least it’ll give him a guide.

“That’s one way of looking at it. If you’re not sure though, you can always give it more time.” They’ll live long enough that if they need to take ten years to figure things out or ten centuries to figure things out, they can take that time. “Now that you’re thinking about it, about the fact that Gabriel’s doing more than just being nice, you’ll pay more attention to your feelings, and perhaps then you’ll figure out how you feel.”

That… actually sounds pretty good to Sam. Now that he knows more, he can start researching his feelings. Granted, it’s not exactly research, more of an experiment as he gathers data as he and Gabe spend more time together. “I feel like I don’t know enough about this to really know how I feel.”

“Then you tell Gabriel that you need more time,” Paloma tells him with a little shrug. “You don’t have to say anything right now, but if you feel a need to say something, you can. And if you’re not ready to say something now, then you say it in the future. It’s emotions and a relationship. There are no rules, no normal, no requirements. You do things as you and Gabriel become comfortable and as you reach that point.”

Sam does not like this. He does not like not knowing something and feeling like he can’t go research it to figure out the answer. If Paloma doesn’t have the answer, and the library doesn’t have them, then he’d go ask Gabe, but Gabe’s the source of his current confusion. He needs somewhere to start working through this though, so maybe he’ll look into angelic courting rituals to start.

“Okay.” He doesn’t really know what else to say, so he just sits on the bench, quiet. Paloma doesn’t say anything either, letting him sit in silence. Eventually he takes a deep breath and stands up. “Well, I appreciate you listening and your advice, but we’re supposed to be walking the city, right?”

Paloma knows when a moment’s over. “Of course.” She follows along Sam as they start walking through the more residential areas. “How are things going at the shelter? I haven’t had a chance to stop by recently.”

“Pretty well. Everyone seems to be moving forward,” Sam says, remembering that there’s been more laughter around the shelter in the past few months. “I’m not really sure how close any of them are to wanting to head out which is the eventual goal, but any progress is good progress for them.”

Sam still has some moments that make his skin crawl. If he gets too close to the red light district for example, enough unwilling workers create an overwhelming atmosphere that pulls up his memories and makes him pretty much shut down. And sometimes he overhears things from when the members of the shelter talk to the therapists that create the same reaction.

The fact that the people can move past things even worse than what he went through just reminds him of how strong humans can be. Sure, they might not have magic, and they might not live as long, but they still have their own strength. He only hopes that he can move past his own memories as well as they do.

“I’m glad to hear that it’s working. Do you know the next time they’ll bring you more survivors to help?” Paloma waves at a few grandmothers she helps with potions for their arthritis. “Do you have room for more?”

“Right now, we have room for probably twenty or thirty more survivors,” Sam guesses, trying to remember the situation in their room. He and the angels stay out of their room, leaving it to the humans alone, their own little sanctuary. “If we get more than that though, we can always expand the shelter with magic. That’s the plan honestly, to create as much space as necessary no matter how we do it. I want to help everyone who wants help.”

That sounds like something Sam would want to do. Paloma’s not entirely sure where his drive to help comes from, but she’s glad to see that at least some people are willing to look beyond themselves. “That’s good to hear, but are you sure that the residents will want to live in something so magical? Hell is plenty physical from what you’ve described to me, but still.”

Sam hasn’t really thought about that before, and it hasn’t come up yet since they’re still living in the physical rooms. “I don’t know. Hopefully it won’t be a issue, but if it is, we can figure it out. I have faith that we can figure it out.”

A demon having faith. Will wonders ever cease? Paloma just smiles and listens to him talk about the shelter as they keep moving through the city. Yeah, they’ll figure it out. She has faith in the boy to make it work. He’s really, really good.


	46. Chapter 46

When they return to the shelter, Sam avoids talking to Gabe, needing some time to himself. If he could, he’d try to get a ride back to Heaven to grabs some books, but then he’d have to explain why he wants the trip. Then again, Gabe might be willing to do it without any questions.

He has no idea what to do at all. Sam waves at the people who say something to him but heads for his room without talking to any of them. Well, at least until he reaches his room where Miri leans against his door. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She looks him up and down before nodding. “Looks like the walk went alright. Still no sign of demons around town?”

“Not that we noticed.” She moves to the side so that he can get into his room. “Everything seems to be clear so far, but you never know if that’ll change which is why we keep checking.”

Miri doesn’t blame them. Demons’ attention seems to bounce from city to city as time goes on and human activities shift around, and they never know when the demons will come back to Rio de Janeiro. “So if you’ve got good news, why are you running away to your room?”

Sam winces. Apparently he wasn’t as subtle as he hoped he was. “Paloma and I talked while we were out, and I need a moment to think things through.” He is not going to explain this to her because he doesn’t know her well enough, two years not sufficient.

Something tells her that whatever it is, it’s related to Gabriel. The blush on his face and and the way he wouldn’t meet the archangel’s gaze while running up is a dead giveaway. “Alright. Well, if you need a distraction, Enoch and some of the others brought some books back when they visited Heaven last weekend. They created a magical expansion off the medical rooms and got it all set up. The idea was to create a little hide away for you since we all know how much you like to read.”

Not quite sure what to say, Sam just stands in the doorway for a moment, blinking at Miri. Of all the times for the angels to finish a mini library for him, they do it just before he needs some books. To be fair, there’s no guarantee they brought the books he needs, but there’s a hope.

“Well, thank you. You’ll have to let me know what your favorite dinner is, and I’ll make sure we have that soon.” That’s really the only way Sam can think to thank them since he can’t really give them time off. Perhaps a pay bonus, but he’s not sure if that’s within his authority. It might be his shelter, but it isn’t his money.

Miri grins at the kid, feeling a little sorry for springing that on him. Apparently he doesn’t know how to handle gifts. Given everything Gabriel gets the kid, she’s a little surprised. Then again, he doesn’t really do much to thank the angel beyond just saying the words. “No problem, kid.” She pushes off the wall and ruffles his hair before heading away. “See you tomorrow.”

Sam stares after her for a moment. Gabe will touch him with some familiarity, but none of the other angels have even looked like they wanted to. His initial reaction was to shrink away from the touch, but it isn’t an attack, isn’t a threat, so he didn’t. And it really wasn’t that bad. Sure, he has to fix his hair now, but that’s not really that bad.

In his room, Sam kneels down next to his bed to pull out the box of books he brought with him from Heaven. He doesn’t remember all of the books that he he brought, so what he’s looking for might be right here. Maybe he can add these books to the library the angels just created, if Castiel approves.

The books focus on spells since Sam wanted to be able to show any demons basic defensive magic, assuming they’d learn from him. He isn’t seeing any books on angelic traditions or rituals, so it looks like he’s out of luck with his personal stash. Reaching up to the nightstand, Sam writes a quick note to Castiel, asking permission to share the books then heads downstairs to see what’s in the other library.

Because of the magical defenses on the room, it takes Sam a moment to figure out how to get into the room. It’s actually a pretty simple spell, just needing a quick wave of his wings to prove he’s not human, and then he steps inside.

Just like Castiel’s library, the smell of old paper and ink wraps around him. Sam breathes in the smell and smiles as his emotions settle while surrounded in the familiar scent. He trails his fingers over the spines of the books while walking once around the room then starts checking the titles.

Like the books he brought, the majority are spell books or related to defensive strategies. He keeps checking them all though because better safe than sorry. Who knows what the angels will consider important enough to bring. Maybe just a taste of home from books about traditions. On the very bottom row, Sam finds what he’s looking for.

“Perfect.” Sitting back on his heels, Sam starts with the oldest looking book. The table of contents actually lists courting rituals as one of the chapters, so he starts there. A quick perusal shows him that they focus on showing abilities and thoughtfulness. The ability to take care of the angel being courted and always thinking about the angel.

Sam has to admit that Gabriel has that covered, both aspects of it. Not only is he an archangel, but he’s fought in Hell and held his own. He worked with Sam to plan the shelter, went along with everything. Now, he does what he can to bring Sam little gifts and trinkets. Confirmation is great, but it doesn’t tell him how to respond.

“Damn it.” Sam pushes the book off his lap then gets up to pace the library. “Why is he doing this, doing it now? Castiel was going to wait until Dean was eighteen, probably would have waited longer if Dean hadn’t been so pushy.”

So why is Gabe being so pushy?

“Ugh!” Sam drops down in the chair. Why did he think that leaving the library was a good idea again? It’s simple there, all about what can be found and what can’t. There’s no concerns about making someone mad, doing the wrong thing.

Sam really wants to know why Gabe is doing this now. Of all the times to do it, why now? The shelter is just starting, and he has tons of things to focus on. Why would Gabe do something that requires a response while he’s so busy?

He picks up the book and puts it back on the shelf marveling at how good condition it’s in for something that old. Angels really make them to last for long periods of time. And that’s when it hits him. Long periods of time. Gabe probably started courting him now because they’re together and because he’s expecting it to take a long time. He’s probably not even expecting a response or any reciprocation for years if not decades.

“But do I want to?” Sam feels kind of stupid talking to himself like this, but he feels a need to do more than just think. “Do I want to return those feelings with Gabe?” Of all the people he knows, which isn’t many he admits, Gabe is the only one. But how would he go about doing that? He doesn’t know Gabe well enough to get him little gifts, and he doesn’t know any other way to show that he does think about Gabe pretty often.

Sam wonders just how patient Gabe can be. Will he keep courting Sam even when Sam knows what he’s doing without expecting a response? Maybe he should just tell Gabe that he knows, make it up to Gabe to decide what happens next. But that seems like cheating for some reason, like Gabe has left it up to him to decide, and he’s not really deciding at all.

“Damn it,” Sam says again, head falling back on the chair. He wishes he could talk to Dean about this, get some advice from someone in a similar situation. How is he supposed to just know if he has feelings for Gabe? To know if he  _ wants  _ to have feelings for Gabe?

Emotions are way too complicated. He’d almost say that they’re not worth it, but he’s seen how happy Dean gets when Castiel is around, and he knows that Gabe can lift his mood. It is kinda worth it.

As Sam stares as the ceiling, head falling back on the chair, he realizes that that’s his answer. He wants to figure out something to say to or do for Gabe because it’s worth it. Sam likes seeing Gabe and spending time with him, and he wants Gabe to feel the same about spending time with him.

So now he just has to figure out how he wants to tell Gabe that he knows about the courting and that he wants to reciprocate. And that he needs time to figure out how he wants to reciprocate. He’s not sure he wants to move things forward too quickly though because no matter how many books he’s read about it, he’s not sure he’s really ready for sex.

Sam just sits there, taking a moment to sit with the decision that he’s going to potentially be in a relationship with Gabriel. That he’s going to be more than just friends or coworkers at the shelter. Hopefully Gabe takes a moment to realize that he’s new to this and will go slow with him.

“Enjoying the library?” Sam jumps at the voice behind him, turning to see Gabe smiling at him. “I heard the others put this together for you.”

“Yeah, it’s nice.” Sam curls up in the chair, tucking his feet under his butt and wrapping his arms around himself. “It’s like a little touch of home away from home.”

“Hmm.” Gabriel wonders the wall, checking the titles out of minor curiosity. Mostly spell books or defensive things. Then he notices the ones on angelic traditions and that one was recently moved. Maybe Sam’s starting to figure it out. “How was your walk?”

“It was good.” Sam relaxes a little now that they’re talking work, that they’ve moved away from maybe talking about themselves. “Paloma and I didn’t encounter anything that looked even remotely questionable, nothing obviously dangerous either. We’re still doing just fine.”

“Good. While we might be ready to handle it, that doesn’t mean we want to have to deal with demons.” Gabriel looks over his shoulder and notices the way Sam is wrapped around himself. What has him so nervous if the day went just fine? “Are you spending the rest of the day in here? You’ve earned a chance to relax.”

Sam shrugs a little, not quite meeting his eyes. “I was thinking about making a special dinner for the others as a thank you, but I’m not sure I’m up to it. I’ll probably wait until they give me ideas before doing anything. So yeah, I’ll probably stay in here.”

“Don’t forget you need to brush up on your physical training. You promised Dean that you’d stay on top of it as long as you stayed on Earth.” It’s a low blow, using his brother against him, but Gabriel wishes Sam did a little more for his physical safety, so he doesn’t feel bad at all.

He smiles at the little groan from Sam. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, you do, not only because you promised your brother but because you know it’s right.” Gabriel crosses the room and sits on the arm on of the chair, running his fingers through Sam’s hair. It’s a little more personal than he normally does, but Sam doesn’t move away, so he doesn’t feel bad about it.

“Fine.” Sam rests his head against Gabriel’s thigh, and he does his best not to react. Sam doesn't need something like that right now. It becomes extra hard to stay still when Sam starts drawing random lines along his thigh. “Do you have a moment to talk?”

Gabriel keeps running his fingers through his hair. “Of course. Whenever you need to talk, I’m here to listen whenever you need me.”

“Okay then. So, I know you’ve been courting me.”


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to a BTS concert this weekend, so I can't guarantee a post later this week. Here's two chapters for this week, and it'll be an extra if I get to it this weekend.

Sigal looks over the demons standing behind her. “Look, the whole point of this is to see if we can find anymore of those super weapons. If we find any demons along the way, take them out, but be quiet about it. We can’t risk anyone getting away to report back to Sloth.”

“And if we find any humans?” Tzvi checks his sword one more time before looking up at Sigal. “Do we bring them with us and take them to the shelter, or do we leave them?” Killing them is another option, of course, but he isn’t stupid enough to say that out loud.

She hesitates, not entirely sure. “We’ll take them to Sam. That’s the whole point of his project, so we might as well support it. Besides, if we leave them or kill them, we’re just as bad as the demons we fight.”

That’s not necessarily true. Their job does not require them to actively help and support humans while in Hell, but Sigal’s always had to push away second thoughts when she leaves a human behind. Really, how is she any better than the demons if she does that? She might not have brought them down to Hell, but she didn’t do anything to get them out.

Tzvi nods, more than willing to help the humans. He likes the idea of being more than just a killer even if he kills for the benefit of Heaven. “Understood. When do we leave?”

“As soon as we get to the nearest portal. Commander Castiel gave me the spells to get to and from the section of Sloth we’re searching.” Sigal raises the amulets holding the spells and starts walking down the corridor. “The spells aren’t timed, but I’d like to be in and out within two hours. The longer we’re out, the greater the risk, and I don’t want to have to explain what we’re doing there.”

Chaya agrees with that, not wanting to risk being captured and tortured. She sets her time piece for two hours waiting until they’re at the portal and step through to trigger it. She pairs off with Oranit as they head down one corridor to search.

Elias takes up position next to Sigal as they watch the others head off. “Do you really think we can find one of these weapons? It’s been centuries since we last found one.”

“Who knows,” Sigal admits with a little shrug. “I’d love to think we can find one, but I doubt it. If they were sitting around, the demons would be using them against us.”

Very true. And even if it’s a different unit targeted, all of Heaven and the angels in Hell would have heard about it. “At least we know they don’t have them.”

Sigal hopes so. For all they know, the demons are just waiting for the perfect moment to attack the angels when the weapons will be the most effective. “Even if we can’t use the weapons ourselves, disabling them works just as well.”

Elias agrees with the idea. They have plenty of weapons that mean they don’t really need anything else. “I noticed Commander Castiel’s mate was in the kitchen this morning. Why don’t we bring him along for this? As a demon, I’d think he’d be able to better sense the weapons than we can.”

“But do you really see the Commander letting Dean wander around Hell without him?” Elias shakes his head with a grin. “We need Commander Castiel with Commander Michael and the others, and  _ if  _ he deems Dean ready to fight in Hell, it’ll be alongside him.”

“True enough. Can you imagine that though?” He’s heard about it of course. Every angel grows up hearing about mates, that they’re real, that they’ll love you more than anyone else, better than anyone else. Then time passes, and you don’t meet your mate, and your friends don’t meet their mates, and you start to relegate the idea of mates to legend, not truth. “Having a mate?”

Sigal checks over her shoulder at Elias before checking the upcoming corridor. “I don’t know. It sounds nice, but it also sounds like a lot to live with. I’m not sure I could live with that type of need.” This thing she has with Enoch is nice. They send letters, visit when they can, and it’s all pretty low key. “Look at the Commander. Dean has to come visit him because they can’t spend too long apart. Can you imagine living like that?”

When she puts it that way, Elias admits that it doesn’t sound so good. “But that can’t be forever. Michael and Lucifer don’t have to spend that much time together. They might live together, but Michael spends just as much time in Hell without him.”

“Yeah, but if I haven’t met my mate yet, I doubt it’ll happen at all.” Sigal keeps scanning as they walk, checking for demons and for the sense of the weapon. Last time they found one, there was this niggling sense of danger that couldn’t be connected to any specific demon, and she’s looking for the same sense again. “I’m happy enough as is.”

“With Enoch?” Elias takes a moment to wiggle his eyebrows at her, getting a finger in response. “Hey, as long as you’re happy, nobody cares. You deserve a chance at happiness.”

“So do you,” Sigal tells him before stopping and raising a hand, eyes scanning ahead back and forth. She heard something, but she doesn't know what or where it came from. “You hear that?”

Elias nods, coming up to her side while facing the opposite direction. “Yes. Can’t sense any demons though.”

Sigal agrees before using a spell to expand her hearing further down the corridor. Breathing is covered by the sound of chains clinking against each other, and Sigal shifts her senses to search for humans. This time she picks up on the faster heartbeat of humans.

“You get that?” Elias asks, still facing away from Sigal. “Not demons.”

“Humans. We should get them out of here.” This isn’t really what Sigal wanted to do with her time today, but that’s life. “Let’s see how many there are before calling in the others. They might still find a weapon.”

“Understood.” Elias still walks backwards as she moves forward getting closer and closer to the noise from the humans.

Sigal walks around the corner to face ten humans all staring up at her with sunken, hopeless eyes. Shit. She never really paid that much attention to the humans before Sam set up his shelter, and part of her wishes she never noticed. “How long has it been since a demon stopped by?”

“A demon?” One of the men in the middle sneers up at her. “You mean one of your kind.”

Sigal stands tall and lets her wings come out from the illusion she uses in Hell. No need to announce herself as an angel from a distance. “No, not one of my kind. I exist to fight them and to help you. But I need to know, how long has it been since one stopped by?”

Silas studies the woman in front of him and decides to answer her since he really doesn't see any reason not to. “I don’t know. They didn’t exactly give us a clock. But I’d say at least three days. We’re all starving.”

“I can get you food later, but first we have to get out of here.” It hasn’t been too long since they left the portal, so they’re going to have to wait there for a bit. Sure it’ll take longer to get back than it did to find the humans, but still. “Can you stand?”

“If you get the chains off.” Silas raises his hands to create a point only to have them falling to the ground. “Thanks.” He turns around to see the others eyeing the woman, clearly not trusting her.

“Are you sure about this, Silas?” Victoria asks, taking his hand while keeping her eyes on the two new beings. “We don’t know that we can trust them.”

“Way I see it, we can go with them and maybe get out of here, or we go with them and get killed quick instead of starving to death. Anything is better than starving to death.” Maybe. Bleeding out slowly might not be that great either, but Silas thinks he prefers it to starving.

Victoria agrees with his analysis, so they might as well go for it. “Fine. Come on everyone, let’s go.” Silas might be the one kind of in charge here, but as the oldest one here, they follow her too.

Sigal watches the humans interact, pegging the man she talked to and the older woman with grey hair as the ones in charge. “How long have you been here, in Hell?”

“No idea,” the man says as they start walking, reminding Sigal to expand her silencing spell. She needs to know more, but she doesn’t want any nearby demons to overhear. “We all arrived at different times, and with no clocks or sun, we can’t keep track of the time.”

There’s probably a spell they can work to get the answer, but Sigal can’t do that now. “We’ll figure that out later. Just keep up with us and let us know if we’re moving too fast for you.” Elias has the rear, but they want to make sure that none of the humans drop from exhaustion in addition to not losing one because of falling behind.

They can't leave witnesses.

They move in relative silence after that, and Sigal wants to dash her head against the wall at the slow pace. Sure, they’ve been shackled and huddled for days, but can’t they move any faster? If they had more angels with them then carrying the humans would be an option, but not with only two to guard them.

When they reach the portal, Elias checks his timepiece. Twenty minutes until the others have to be back and they can leave. “We’ll be out of here, soon, but we have to wait for the rest of our party.”

Silas raises an eyebrow at them. “You can’t just zap us out of here?”

Zap them out? Sigal isn’t quite sure what that refers to, but whatever. “The portal only activates with the correct spell, and we only have one. If we leave now, we abandon our people, and we can’t do that.”

He flops down on the ground, wincing at the slight pain, before gesturing for the others to sit as well. “Fine. How long?”

“Twenty minutes as most.” Elias stretches out his senses to see if any of the others are already returning. No such luck. They have to wait.

Waiting sucks. Everyone jumps at the smallest noise even if it’s one of them making the noise. Sigal tries to relax a little, go down to the readiness that she normally has on patrol, but the humans keep her too jumpy. Her senses are stretched to the maximum so she knows when the others come as soon as possible, if any demons come as well.

Eventually the others return, and Tzvi looks over the humans before moving to Sigal’s side. “We found one. Energy levels are low, so I’m not sure that it works, but at least we have one.” At least the demons can’t fix it themselves.

Sigal nods before checking her troops. “Everyone take a human to help them through the portal. We stop in our area, get them some food, then we’ll take them to Sam.”

“Sam?” Victoria doesn’t really want to deal with another person before she has a chance to go home. She just wants to see her family again.

“He runs a shelter to try and help humans abducted by demons. Time runs differently in Hell than it does on Earth, so you need a safe place to figure out how long it’s been since you were taken,” Sigal explains while watching angels and humans pair off, taking Victoria for herself. “You don’t have to stay there, but it’s the best place to start.”

Fine. Victoria nods her agreement before taking the angel’s arm. “Then let’s go. I’m tired of being in Hell.”

Sigal smiles, admiring her spine. Who said humans are the weakest species? They can pretty admirable when they put their mind to it. With that in mind, they step through the portal to head back to their temporary home.


	48. Chapter 48

Castiel looks up from the kitchen table where he’s monitoring the maps to see Sigal and her angels escorting in ten humans. “Welcome back. “ He stands and heads for the counters to grab several tray of food. “And welcome to you all.”

Silas watches the man with the large black wings offer them plates of sandwiches. He wants to eat, can feel the saliva pooling in his mouth, but he’s not sure he trusts the angels that much. “What’s that?”

“Just leftovers from earlier. We get hungry all the time, so we keep sandwiches in stock for snacking when it’s not meal time.” Castiel steps away from the plates to try and help the humans feel more comfortable. “Just be careful to eat slowly. If it’s been a few days since you ate, eating too fast could make you throw up.”

He knows that, but Silas appreciates the reminder. Of all of them, he’s the strongest, so he takes a few bites to see if hurts him. If he doesn’t get sick, doesn’t feel off, then the others can eat too. “Any chance we can get water down here?” That’s more important than the food.

Sigal wobbles her hand back and forth while helping Victoria take a seat. “Yes but no. We can create it, but I’m not sure that you’d trust that. We generally drink juice down here if we’re not creating water since it stores better.”

Victoria’s not sure that makes sense, but what does she know about Hell? “I’ll take some water. If you’re fighting the demons, I have to believe that you won’t hurt us. That and it’d be easier to kill us there.” She has to start trusting again somewhere.

Castiel nods since she has a point before waving his hand to create ten glasses of water. “If anyone wants juice, just let me know.”

Tzvi crosses over to him as the humans start to nibble at the food. “Where can I find Commander Michael and Lucifer, Commander? I’d like to give them what we found while out.”

“They’re in a room just off the armory,” Commander Castiel tells him. “Sigal can help the humans; do you want me to go with you?”

“Thank you, but no. I’ll go with Malka who found it with me.” He delivers a small bow before taking Malka’s arm and heading for the exit. They can handle a walk on their own, especially with a mostly inert weapon. As they go, the Commander’s mate passes them with a little wave.

Dean bounces into the kitchen with a big smile to see Castiel only to stop when he sees the people scarfing down sandwiches. Apparently they found some humans while looking for a weapon. “Cas?”

Victoria turns at the soft voice to see a young man, probably in his mid to late teens, heading for the angel with the black wings. The angel wraps around the kid and presses a kiss to the top of his head. She really hopes his youthful look is just a facade, not an indication of his actual age.

“How was your work with my brother?” Castiel doesn’t want to say ‘Lucifer’ in a room full of humans who probably associate him with demons.

Dean frowns at him, confused at what he calls Lucifer but just rolls with it. “Pretty well. We got really close to finishing the spell so that we’ll know when Wrath comes, but I needed food, so we took a break. He’s going to try and figure out the rest with Michael.” He knows Lucifer can do it; now it comes down to time.

“Good. We need as much warning as we can get to keep people safe. The space has been emptied out,” Castiel tells him, “so now we’re just waiting.”

Silas can’t help but listen in, and he hears them refer to someone as Wrath. “What are you talking about?”

Looking over at the human, Dean blinks at him a few times, surprised to be overheard. “Um, Wrath is attacking the territory the angels currently hold. He’s the demon who controls the power of the deadly sin Wrath, gets fed by the wrath of demons, humans, and angels. He has a personal name, but it’s just easier to call him by his title.”

The Seven Deadly Sins are actual things? People that walk around and abduct humans? That makes no sense, but Silas has to admit that it makes as much sense as being a prisoner in Hell. “So every time I get mad at people, I give power to the guy you’re fighting?”

Dean doesn’t actually know where demonic power comes from, just that he can manipulate some of it, so he wiggles into Cas’ lap and looks up at him for the answer. “Well? Does it?”

Adorable. He can wield the power of Hell and Heaven, and who knows what Dean will be capable of in a few decades. Yet the only word Castiel can think of to describe him is adorable. He bends down to press a kiss to the top of his head. “In essence, but not exactly. But yes, getting angry can give Wrath power.”

“Then how do you stop them?” Shelly looks up from the last bite of sandwich to stare at the angels. “If they’re fueled by sins, and humans are really good at sinning, how do you stop them?”

“Not by cutting off their power,” Dean tells her, knowing the answer to this one. “You do it by dealing directly with the individual demons. That’s why the angels spend so much time in Hell.”

“And the humans you find in Hell. You take them all to Earth so they can go back to their families?” Silas doesn’t really believe that. It seems too good to be true.

Sigal winces and finally takes a seat on one of the benches. “No, not always. Our job is to deal with demons, not humans. Recently though, we’ve been trying to change that and help the humans we run into down here.”

Of course. Silas sneers at the angels, not impressed anymore. “You’re no better than they are.”

“From a human perspective, maybe not,” Sigal admits, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn and get better. The shelter is having a slow start, but at least we’re trying now.”

Victoria reaches out to take Silas’ hand before he does anything stupid. If she knows anything about institutions that last a very long time, progress comes very slowly. “At least you’re trying now.”

Sigal declines to let them know that a demon created the progress, not an angel. “You don’t have to stay there, it’s just the first place we’ll take you.”

“What’s there?” Ivy isn’t really sure that she trusts these angels, but she knows that she’s been down here for years. Anything that will help her relearn being on Earth, she’ll take it.

“Sam’s done his best to put together everything you might need. Training for future jobs, education if you want or need it, professionals to talk to. And if you’re not ready for that right away, there’s a bed and meals for you until you are.” Sigal doesn’t mind the humans hanging out for a time, but it’d be nice if they could all eventually move out. That’s kind of the point of the shelter.

That sounds good to Ivy. She’s not interested in talking to anyone right away, but having meals while having time to wait would be good. “Do we all have to stay or all go?” Victoria will probably stay a bit, and some of the others too, but Silas is a lot less likely.

“It’s up to you,” Dean says with a smile, hoping to help them relax. The woman looks really, really nervous, and while that makes sense, he wants them to be happier here than they were before. “It doesn’t have to be a group decision.”

“Okay.” She smiles at the younger guy, but he’s probably biased since he’s clearly close with one of the angels. They look cute together, but that doesn’t mean they’re good people.

“Sam’s awesome. If you’re missing something,” Dean assures them, “I’m sure he’ll work to get it added. We’ve never lived on Earth, so he did it based on research, not experience.”

“You’ve never lived on Earth?” Curious now, Silas turns to face the kid in the angel’s lap. “You’ve only lived in Heaven?”

“Well…” Dean looks up at Cas, not really sure what to say. No one said anything about Sam being a demon, and Cas wouldn’t even call Lucifer by name, so he’s not sure if he should admit to being a demon.

Castiel scans the humans in front of him and nods at Dean. They’re going to find out sooner rather than later. So they might as well figure it out now. He moves his hand around so he can take Dean’s hand, trying to support him in case it doesn’t go well.

“Sam and I were born in Hell. I don’t remember much before we were kidnapped, and then we were slaves. I was uh…” he looks down at his lap, glad for Cas’ hand, “a sex slave, but they just kept Sam in a room. Then Cas rescued us, and now we live in Heaven. Except for when I’m down here for work and when Sam’s on Earth for the shelter.”

Silas narrows his eyes at the kid, trying to figure it out. Are humans born in Hell, or is he a demon? “And your parents?”

Dean wiggles deeper into Cas’ laps and arms, wanting even more support. “We don’t know who our moms were. Our father didn’t really care about them. As for him, well Greed is alive and well, but we’ve forsaken family ties.”

Fuck, the kid’s dad is a Deadly Sin? Silas wants to step back, but that means moving away from the food and maybe tripping over the bench. “How does a demon end up working for Heaven?” The others in his group gasp at the revelation but just stare.

They’re still talking to him which is a good thing. Maybe. Dean closes his eyes and leans into Cas. “Cas. He took us in, let us live with him. We learned that we don’t have to be bad just because we’re demons. Look at Sam. He set up the shelter to help people, not to get anything out of it.” He laughs at himself. “Me, I fight demons because I want revenge. Doing good is just a side benefit.”

At least the kid’s honest. “How old are you anyway?”

“Twenty. If I don’t look it, that’s because I can change my body to look how I want.” Dean has no idea what humans age like, but he noticed a few odd looks here and there from the humans, especially the older lady who kind of reminds him of Yonit.

“Just like humans can be bad or good, so can angels and demons,” Castiel adds before the humans can say anything else. “Angels want to create a world where humans and angels can live in peace, and we fight demons to do that. It’s easier for demons to sin and be evil, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn to be different. And angels can go too far in their pursuit of doing good.”

No one says anything else, and Castiel can see the thoughts moving through their heads. He wraps a wing around Dean to shield him, trying to make him more comfortable. He’s impressed by how much Dean has opened up to them and really doesn’t want it to backfire.

“As long as you don’t turn on us, I guess you’re right,” Silas finally admits, taking another sandwich. He’s had a few cramps, but he’s pretty sure that’s because he’s eating again, not because there’s an issue with the food. And if this shelter’s got everything that they say it does, he’ll stay for a bit. Might as well take advantage of what they’re offering.

Demons used him, now he'll use one of them. 

Dean doesn’t bother getting upset at the idea that they might turn on the humans. He doesn’t know them after all. Instead, he just stays snuggled up with Cas. He’s feeling a little exposed at the moment, so he just needs some time. Thank goodness for the privacy of Cas’ wings. They’ll give him the time he needs.

Castiel looks down at Dean while listening to the humans with half an ear. They don’t present any threats to them at the moment, so he focuses on his mate instead. He doesn’t feel as settled as much as he normally does, and Castiel wants to make sure it doesn’t get any worse. They might be helping the humans, but his mate still comes first, always.

Perhaps he'll spend a little extra time focusing on Dean tonight, show him just how much he's loved. Not everyone will love him, will see the beauty in Dean, but Castiel will make sure that Dean knows at least one person in this world loves him more than anything else. He kisses him one more time then settles in to listen to gossip for a while. 


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saw BTS live last Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Amazing!!! One of the best nights of my life.

“So, how do you want to do this?” Lucifer looks over at Dean from his spot at the table. Cassie assigned them a work space, and he’d complain that it’s not that nice, but it’s Hell, so nothing’s going to be nice.

“It was your idea,” Dean reminds Lucifer while wrinkling his nose. “You’re the one who wants to link to Hell. I’m already linked.”

Waving off his irritation, Lucifer leans forward to catch Dean’s eye. “It’s been centuries since I’ve been in Hell, and I don’t really remember what those connections feel like. If you can tell me what they feel like to you, perhaps that’ll help me find them again.”

Dean stares at Lucifer. Seriously? He wants him to try and explain something as intangible as his magical connection to Hell? The least he can do is try though. “It’s like this little niggling in the back of my head. I know it’s there, but it’s nothing really big until I need it.”

He takes a moment to access that feeling, his awareness spreading out through Hell. Dean can sense where the angels are and the pools of power in the walls. They make a bit of a map for him that would help him move through Hell with relative ease.

“It’s just there.” Dean lets go of the Hell magic and opens his eyes to watch Lucifer again. He considers throwing some glitter at the angel, just to make him react, reaching for his power for angelic magic.

There’s a moment when he slips past the more Hellish aspects of his power to touch pure power, and that’s when it hits him. “First reaction, I go for Hell power for demonic magic. It’s easy, simple. If I go past that, I get pure power and can do angelic magic.”

Lucifer nods, seeing where he’s going with that. “It’s like that with my angelic magic. I want it to happen and it just does. Even at my peak in Hell, I still had to think a little more to use its power.” He focuses this time and touches his magic with his mind, well are that it’s there. But it’s too pure for Hell, can’t be twisted to do its magic even if the outcome of the spell is the same.

“Can you link power with Michael?” Dean asks, remembering something he read in a book he found during his early training of himself.

Lucifer nods again with a small smile. It’s more than that between mates. When they shared power, they shared minds for a moment, learned how they see each other, something that helped them grow closer when things were pretty rocky. “Yes, just once though.”

“Do you think you could do it with me? We’re not mates, but we’re family, and technically, I wouldn’t exist without your work in Hell.” Dean catches the little wince on Lucifer’s face and feels bad, but it’s the truth. “Are you willing to try?”

It sounds a little weird, but Lucifer’s willing to try. He nods, holding out one hand and manifesting a knife in his other. “Blood will help us connect.”

So not cool. Dean wrinkles his nose but holds out his hand. It’s a very shallow slice across his palm, no chance of causing damage, but it stings. Lucifer does the same to himself then puts their hands together.

“When I was with Michael, we both accessed our power then reached out through our bond.” Lucifer grabs his magic while reaching for the part of him that knows his family. Ever since Michael became head of family it’s been easier to feel. Dean and Sam are slightly different than the others, probably because they’re not angels.

Dean reaches for his pure power to start figuring he can pull Lucifer back into Hell’s power later. There’s a little push near his heart, but it’s not physical. Curious, he reaches with his magic to push back, and that’s when things snap together.

Power unlike any he’s felt before rushes through his body almost more than he can control. Dean slumps over the table, gritting his teeth to bear it. There’s a noise, and then most of the power’s gone and he can breathe again.

“Sorry.” He cracks an eye to see an apologetic Lucifer. “Last time I did this, it was with someone with the same level of power as me. Better now?”

Dean nods, the action not making the pain any worse which is good. “Please don’t do that again, if you can help it.”

At least he knows it might not be intentional if it happens again. “Now what?” This close together, with family and blood between them, Lucifer can feel Dean, but he does his best not to pry.

“I can feel your power, little bits of your memories. Can you feel my power?” It’s weird, thinking about it as something so physical, like they could reach out and pick it up, but that’s the best way to do it.

Lucifer reaches out again, very carefully this time, and reaches what he figures must be Dean’s power. There’s not as much as he has, but there’s still plenty there and lots of potential for more. “Yes, I can feel it.”

Dean can feel Lucifer there with him, and he slowly pulls back, releases some of his vigilance. The sense of Lucifer’s power comes with him slowly and surely until Dean’s fully connected to Hell again. And he can tell exactly when Lucifer realizes it.

His eyes flare with power, wings following suit. He cries out in pain as old pathways in his brain and power are forced open in seconds. Lucifer makes sure to keep his hand linked to Dean’s, not wanting to lose him during progress. Half formed pathways would be even worse than this.

Eventually the pain ends, and that’s when Lucifer drops their hands so that he can slump back in his chair. “That was not pleasant, and I do not want to do it again.”

Dean didn’t come out of it unscathed, sitting back with a little shutter. “So, you can feel Hell again, can access the power you used to have?”

Lucifer tests his renewed senses, wincing slightly since they’re all still so fresh. “I can feel part of it. My power wasn’t any greater when I was here than when I was in Heaven. The difference was I could pull on a pool of power from Hell, and yes, I can do that again. I can feel Hell too, can feel the corridors and caverns, the mark left by Wrath coming in last time.”

Well then, mission accomplished, but it feels a little too easy. Sure it was a little painful for both of them, but it was pretty quick and simple. So, too easy. “That’s it?”

“Not everything has to be a struggle,” Lucifer tells him with a shrug, “but not quite. It’s most of the way there but not everything.”

“What isn’t everything?” They both look up to see Michael standing in the doorway.

“A connection to Hell.” Lucifer gets up and crosses over to his mate, reaching out to touch his magic. They don’t do a full merge often, have only done it twice, but a small touch, to share emotions? All the time, and this time, he let’s Michael know that he’s okay, that he’s still him even with a connection to Hell again.

Michael takes the contact and runs with it, searching Lucifer as fast as he can. Yes, he trusts his mate, but he has to check for himself as well. He can sense the change in his mate, but he still senses the man that he knows and loves. “Then what’s missing?”

“Practice and a spell. If I had time, I could refamiliarize myself with this portion of Hell and know as soon as there was a disturbance,” Lucifer explains recalling what he used to do to keep his territory safe. “I don’t have that time before Wrath will attack, so I need a spell to take the place of time.”

“I can help with that,” Michael offers, wrapping his arms around his mate. “I’ve done similar things before, not with the same base you have, but perhaps then my spell will just be overkill.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it.” Dean hops up and heads out wanting to find Cas. He passes two angels in the corridor carrying something but ignores them. If it’s important to him, Cas will let him know when it matters.

Once Dean’s out of earshot, Michael pulls his mate in for a deep kiss. They’re working, technically, but there’s always a moment to be mates. “Are you really doing alright? Dean’s not here now if that was holding you back.”

Lucifer takes a deep breath before smiling at his mate, loving just how much his mate cares about him. “I feel fine. Yes, there’s a slight pull, a temptation to run off and show everyone just how powerful I am, but it’s not worth it. I don’t want to lose you, don’t want to lose the rest of my family. This time I have something to lose, something to weigh against the temptation.”

“Good.” Michael kisses Lucifer on the forehead before moving them back to the table to sit down. “The spell is pretty simple. Hell is a network, and the spell simply tells it to pay more attention to when a portal appears.”

“And then to notify me once it pays attention to the portal,” Lucifer reminds him. Two angels appear in the doorway before they can move forward with the spell. “Can we help you?”

“We found a weapon,” Malka announces, gesturing Tzvi forward to display it. “From what we can tell, it’s inert, but we hoped you might be able to do something with it.”

Lucifer holds out his hand for the weapon, nodding as soon as he has it in his hands. “You’re right, it’s dead, but we might be able to bring it back. I was more than a little pissed off when I made these, so I don't remember things perfectly. And time will have really warped the magic, but I’ll see what I can do to reactivate it and change it.”

“Change it?” Tzvi exchanges a look with Malka, confused. “What do you mean?”

“They’re designed to kill angels,” Michael reminds them, “so we’ll have to alter them to kill demons instead of angels.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” Lucifer admits, tracing some of the symbols on the weapon. “Adding an ability, killing demons, should be easy. It’s removing an ability, killing angels, that’ll be harder.”

“I’m sure you can figure it out,” Tzvi says, not fazed by supporting Lucifer working in Hell. If Commander Castiel’s mate and his brother are demons who can work for Heaven, then he can support the idea of an angel working with Hell. That and he's had his own issues with Heaven's rules before, so he can kind of understand why Lucifer did what he did. 

Pleased by the support, Lucifer nods at him watches as the two angels leave the room. “So, do we work on the spell for the portal or do we work on the weapon?”

“The spell,” Michael decides, putting the weapon to the side. “We can deal with that later because we don’t need it to deal with Wrath. The portal spell we need immediately.”

“Alright. How does this work?” Lucifer keeps checking his connection to Hell, levitating little things around the room to keep flexing his power. Logically, he knows the connections won’t vanish now if he doesn’t use them, but he still keeps using them.

“You sit here and let me work.” Michael closes his eyes going back into his memory to remember the words he used when he built the spell to protect things last time. As they come back, he takes Lucifer’s hands and whispers the words as if he can wrap them around his mate. Words of protection, warning, notification, those all come easily enough. As he speaks though, he has to find a way to connect the sensors to Lucifer’s feeling of Hell rather than other spells placed in Hell the way he did last time.

There are a few stumbles, a few misspoken words Michael has to backtrack to correct, but eventually the spell settles into Lucifer’s skin. Michael waits a moment to make sure his body and magic won’t reject it then pulls back to open his eyes and study his mate. “I haven’t done a spell that large in awhile.”

Lucifer nods, totally understanding. Generally speaking, spells are a quick thought and a burst of energy. Passive spells, like alarms that sit on doors and windows take a few more words but generally not too many. Something that involves working in Hell and vigilance over a large space and notifying a specific person takes a lot more work.

“I can feel it in the back of my head, but it’s not that bad, not too distracting. We’re going to have to test it,” he reminds Michael. “You want to go popping around or send someone else to do it?”

“It’ll be best if I do. Wrath uses his own magic to create a portal to travel, so I’ll be the closest to that for practice.” Michael really doesn’t want to go hopping around Hell for awhile, but if it keeps them safe, then so be it.

“Don’t tell me how many times you go, just do it. I’ll keep track of what I feel,” Lucifer says, grabbing for papers and a writing utensil, “and then we’ll compare notes when you come back here.”

Michael nods, agreeing with the plan before walking out and creating a portal just outside to start working. Whatever they need to keep themselves safe. 


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for two chapters so late in the week. I'll get to all the comments soon, but it's too late tonight. Anyway, enjoy Sammy!

“Okay then. So, I know you’ve been courting me.”

Gabriel stares at Sam, not sure what to say. He should have known the kid was smart enough to figure it out. They were pretty comfortable together for awhile, and then Sam started to withdraw in on himself. Official courting was a way for Gabriel to express his feelings without worrying about overwhelming the boy. 

“I didn’t really put two and two together until Paloma said something. I couldn’t figure out why you didn’t tell me you were going to talk to Castiel until after you did, and she said it was because you probably didn’t want to disappointment me. But it didn’t make sense that you were worried about disappointing me since I knew it was a long shot.” Sam shrugs a little, looking up at Gabriel for the first time in the conversation. 

“I probably wouldn’t have figured it out if it wasn’t for her.” Now Sam looks a little worried, reaching out to touch his arm but pulling back before actually making contact. “Please don’t get mad at Paloma for pointing it out if you didn’t want me to know.”

Gabriel sighs and decides to go for it, slipping down in the chair and scooping Sam up to put him in his lap. “I’m not mad at her. You seemed like you needed space, and I needed to do something for you, so that was the best solution I could find. It wasn’t a secret, but I didn’t want to tell you until you seemed ready.”

Sam doesn’t know how to feel about relaxing into the embrace, but then he decides to go for it. If they’re being honest and putting it all on the table, he might as well admit that he more than doesn’t mind the hug, he likes it. “How do we do this?”

He takes a deep breath, trying to calm his body down. Now is not the time to scare Sam off. “We do this however you want. I’ve been in relationships, I’ve done this before, and I don’t want to push you too far. So we go at your pace.”

“That’s not fair to you though. A relationship takes two people, isn’t based on what just one person wants,” Sam argues. Gabriel hides his smile while pressing his face into Sam’s hair. Trust his first instinct to be worrying about someone else. 

“But I refuse to push you too far or too fast. Now that we’re talking about this, I don’t mind letting you know if something’s moving too slow. We can deal with it then, if it comes up.” Gabriel laughs a little, shaking his head. “Trust me, my patience is pretty solid.”

Sam isn’t sure that he really trusts Gabe to speak up about himself, but he puts it to the side for the moment. “So what do we do then?”

“We do what we’ve been doing,” Gabriel announces with a little shrug, rubbing a hand up and down Sam’s arm. Now that he’s letting himself touch his mate, it’s hard to keep his hands off him. “You pick the next step.”

The next step. Sam really has no idea what that is, but his anxiety never becomes too much, Gabe’s hand on his arm keeping him calm. Maybe that’s it, the next step. “Can we be more physical with each other? Not like lots of kisses or sex, but like this.”

Damn, he’s so fucking adorable. “Yes, we can definitely do that. Will you be comfortable doing this in front of the others, a hug or holding hands, or do you want to keep it more private than that?”

Why are there so many decisions involved with being in a relationship? If Sam can handle all of the decisions related to running the shelter, he should be able to handle the decisions for his relationship. Then again they’re pretty different things, a shelter and a relationship, so perhaps it’s not that weird that he can’t do them equally well. 

“I don’t know.” Honesty is the best policy with this relationship. “Maybe we can try it, and if it’s too much for me, we can pull back?”

Sounds like a good plan. “Alright. Just let me know. I have no issues with being affectionate in public, so if I go further than you like, you need to tell me.” 

Sam nods, willing to continue with the goal of communicating as much as possible. Castiel and Dean seem to do better when they’re talking, and he figures that’s true in most if not all relationships. “But not right away.”

Gabe looks down at Sam, trying to understand the slight panic in his words. “You have a specific time you want to start? Anytime works for me as long as you let me know so I don’t do something too early.”

“Not until we have dinner with Dean and the others. I don’t know how much gossip travels between Earth and Hell, but I want him to find out from me.” His brother deserves to hear it from him first, especially since Dean’s given him advice about this, and he deserves to hear about the outcome first. 

That’s a perfect reason to wait, but now Gabriel really, really hopes that they get to have dinner in a week. Giving Sam little gifts here and there, offering to help him with tasks has helped the urges to do something with his mate, but he still wants to do more. With permission to cuddle, Gabriel stays in the chair just holding Sam in silence. 

Outside the library, Miri looks at the space where the door hides, Enoch at her side. “What do you think they’re doing in there?”

Enoch shrugs and wonders if perhaps they’d hear anything. The magic is supposed to keep the noises of the shelter out, but the ones to keep the library noises in might not be as strong. “Do you really want to know?”

“Yeah. I’d like to know what the head of the shelter is doing with his number one man. If they’re happy together, then whatever, but I’d like to know what we might be dealing with.” Miri doubts anything will change just because the two are openly in a relationship, but best to be prepared. 

“They’re probably just talking. Commander Gabriel’s been courting Sam for two years now, but he never made any physical gestures.” Enoch really doesn’t care, but the conversation has him curious now. “Sam doesn’t seem ready for anything more than hugs and holding hands.”

Rather tame behavior for an angel as old and experienced as Gabriel, but Miri supposes that he has to adapt to his lover’s interests. “What attracts him to Sam? Sure he’s smart, and he’s a great person, but he’s more than a little young. I don’t get the appeal.”

Enoch had a similar thought when he learned about Commander Castiel and Dean, but then they all learned that the two are mates. “Perhaps like his brother, Commander Castiel, Gabriel has found his mate. That may explain the attraction along with how patient he’s been with Sam apparently not being ready for a relationship.”

Well, if they’re mates, Gabriel probably has a long wait in store for him. Miri can’t imagine caring enough about someone to be that patient, but she doesn’t judge those who do. “As long as they’re happy. I’d like to see Sam smile a little more often.”

Enoch nods as a ball appears in front of his face. He grabs it out of the air, and it cracks open to reveal a note from Sigal. It’d be nice to have a personal one since it’s been awhile, but it’s all work related. “We’re getting another batch of survivors tomorrow. Sigal and the others are feeding them today then bringing them up after they have a chance to sleep.”

“At least we still have rooms. How many?” Miri doubts more than two or three of them will stick around, the other groups not having too many sticking around, but who knows. Perhaps this group will surprise her. 

“Ten are coming up, how many stay, we’ll see later. Sigal mentioned that one of the women is rather grandmotherly. Maybe if she stays, she can help us with the other humans, especially any young ones.” Enoch still isn’t sure that they’re set up for younger survivors, and he’s been hoping that at least one older human will stay to help while receiving their own help. 

“Fingers crossed.” Miri likes some human phrases, and she loves tossing them out just to see the confusion or slight judgement from other angels. “Morning, afternoon, or evening arrival?”

“The goal is late morning, but it could be any time since there’s the differences in times.” A slight sound catches Enoch’s ear, and he gestures Miri away from the library door. It sounds like the couple is coming out, and they don’t want to be caught eavesdropping. They can deliver the update out in the kitchen. 

Miri looks back over her shoulder a few times, trying to catch the love birds coming out of the library, but no such luck. “Alright. I’ll see if some of the residents want to help me set up some of the new rooms. Sam will want to double check the work, but we can at least get it started.” 

“Sounds good.” Enoch heads to the kitchens to update the cooks then sits to wait for Sam and Commander Gabriel to come out since it’s close to lunch time. Sam had a small breakfast, nerves about walking the city likely stealing his appetite, so he’ll need his lunch. 

Sure enough the two appear in the kitchen minutes later. “Hello, Enoch.” Sam waves at him looking a little happier than normal. “Did you get some news?”

He looks down at the paper in his hand, forgotten for the moment. “Yes. Sigal advised that she has ten new survivors to bring up to the shelter, and they’ll be here tomorrow. Miri’s working with some of the residents to set up the welcome packets on their beds.”

He appreciates the help, but Sam already knows that he’ll have to double check them before the new residents arrive. “Thank you for the information. Have you let the cooks know?”

“Told us just before you arrived,” Yonatan announces while placing burritos in front of Gabriel and Sam. “We’re already planning to have chicken noodle soup for dinner to keep it light for their stomachs. Lunch will likely be really simple, applesauce, toast, rice, and such. If they want more, they can have it, but we’ll start with that.” 

“Great.” Sometimes Sam feels a little superfluous in his own place, the staff he selected perfectly competent. “I’ll make sure to stay around here tomorrow so that I can be here when they arrive no matter the time. At dinner, we’ll ask some of the current residents if they want to be part of the welcome.” 

They don’t want to overwhelm people when they arrive, which is why the angels stay back, but the idea is that other humans will provide a familiar face. Sam hides his wings and tail with magic, but he doesn’t fully act human.

“Sounds like a plan.” And it sounds exactly like Sam, having a plan for everything as soon as he finds out that something new is ready. Except for their relationship, but Gabriel knows that something that like can’t be planned. Hopefully that’s not too stressful for Sam. “Would you like me to be around, or are you going to handle it on your own?”

Sam thinks it through while eating a little more. He knows he can do it on his own, but it’s always reassuring to have Gabe in the background. “You can do whatever you want tomorrow. I can work with the current residents to welcome the new ones. Please, take a day for yourself.” He knows why Gabe likes to spend so much time around him, but Sam wants to make sure he has time for himself as well. 

Enoch hides a small smile as he watches the two together. They’ll be just fine. He leaves them to it while heading out to prepare for the next day. New residents always need preparing for no matter what your job is, and he wants to be ready. The two don’t even notice his exit. 


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet the new residents!

Silas takes a deep breath, reveling in the fact that he doesn’t smell even the slightest hint of sulfur. He can smell shit and garbage, but it’s still the best smelling air he’s ever smelled. While breathing it in, he steps to the side to let the others out too. 

“Back home,” Victoria says, listening to the babble of people all around them. She doesn’t recognize the language, which means she isn’t quite home yet, but it’s closer than she’s been for years. 

Sigal watches the humans take in Earth out of the corner of her eye while checking for threats. They likely got away from Hell with the humans with no one the wiser, but it pays to never lower your guard. “The shelter’s only a short walk from here.”

“You don’t drive?” Ivy asks, curious about what angels do and don’t do. She doesn’t mind walking, wants to see more of the city they’re in, but she’s interested. 

“We can, but we don’t want to deal with registering it with the local government. Yes, we’re here in the city, but we don’t want too many permanent ties,” Sigal explain while starting to lead the way. “It’s unlikely anything serious will happen, but we need to be able to pack up and leave in a day if necessary, and we don’t want to leave a trail.” At least, that's generally the theory although it probably won't work with the shelter.

Ivy can’t imagine living like that, always ready to leave, but perhaps it’s an angel thing. Maybe it’s because they’re not actually a part of Earth. “How long have you been here?”

“And where is here?” Silas cuts in before the angel can respond. If Ivy’s going to get some answers, so will he. 

“Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. And we’ve been here for two years. It took time to plan the shelter, to get permission and funding.” Sigal’s still surprised that Sam managed to pull it all together so fast and get approval equally fast. Angels don’t normally move that fast, not when they have forever to do things. 

Brazil? That explains why she doesn’t understand the language. Victoria wonders if the angels have a way to help them learn the language quickly so that they can be in the city on their own. She’s a little old to be learning a new language, but she’ll give it a shot. Maybe they can use magic to teach them in seconds. 

“I’ve never been outside of the US,” Ivy says, looking around with a little more wonder than before, “at least before Hell that is.” 

Sigal isn’t quite sure how to respond to that, but she doesn’t have to come up with anything because they’ve arrived. She steps up to the door to hold it open for the new residents. “Welcome.”

Silas studies the building that looks like a giant warehouse. “What’s with the Medusa head over the door?” Not exactly something he’d consider the most welcoming sign ever. 

“It’s an old Greek myth.” Silas looks down from the gorgon to see a teenager in the doorway. “Forced by the other gods to punish Medusa for her own rape, Athena turned her into a gorgon so that no man could get close enough to hurt her ever again. She later became a symbol of safe haven for abused women. 

“Although humans often retell the myth inaccurately, the supernatural community will recognize the significance. It marks the shelter as a place off limits to fighting and attacks. It’s not perfect, it won’t literally stop an attack, but it should make people think twice before acting.”

Well, that makes sense, but who the hell’s the kid. “Thanks. And you are?”

“My name is Sam. Welcome to the shelter. We’ve been waiting for you.” He takes a step back with a small smile, and Silas leads the way inside. They have to go in eventually, so no point in delaying. If they wanted to hurt him and the others, they could have done it plenty of times before getting here that he seriously doubts they’ll do anything to them now. 

Victoria peers around at the place, a little surprised at how bare the walls look. The space to their left is large and empty other than what appears to be workout equipment. To the right, a few closed doors, hiding the purpose of the rooms behind them. Not the most welcoming place ever. 

“If you follow me,” the teenager says, gesturing to his left, “we’ll head up to the kitchen. Our chef has put together some simple foods in case you need something gentle in your stomachs.”

“They were eating sandwiches last night with Commander Castiel and his mate,” Sigal reports, not giving away Sam’s relation to Dean quite yet. Silas doesn’t seem sold on Sam at the moment, and reminding him that he’s a demon probably won’t go over well. 

“Ah.” Hopefully Yonatan is listening in so he knows that they can take heavier food. “We have plenty of food, so we’ll find something for you.”

“Do you have chocolate?” Shelly asks as they reach the top of the stairs. The kitchen walls are a bright cheery yellow that makes her smile until she remembers that her kitchen was painted the same color. “That’s what I miss the most. And pasta. I really miss pasta.” 

“Barbeque,” Brian declares, taking one of the chairs, hoping that sitting will help him hide his nerves if he’s not standing. “Ribs falling off the bone, sweet cornbread, baked beans.” 

“Tacos and empanadas, the way my mom makes, not that stupid Tex Mex stuff you get in the States.” Alex licks his lips, remembering the taste of home cooked food, something he only got around the holidays once he graduated college. 

“Thai food,” Ivy says, although chocolate really sounds good too. 

Sam listens to all of the options for food and tries to figure out what to put on the menu first. Yonatan has final say in the menu, but Sam tries to set it up based on what they already have in the fridge, and then he shops for the staples and the ingredients specific to meals later in the week. 

“We’ve already scheduled ham along with mac and cheese for tonight, but we can put those dishes on the menu, especially if you’re staying.” He thinks back to what they have in the kitchen. “And we’ve got chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate ice cream if you want to start with dessert.” He’s found it’s his guilty pleasure, a little chocolate before bed, and the kitchen staff is good at having lots of options for him. 

“We’ll start with the ham and mac and cheese,” Virginia announces before the others can say anything. “Yes, we’re free, and we should celebrate, but we should be smart about things still. So, we’ll start with the healthy food.” Well, somewhat healthy and only kind of light. Hopefully the dairy doesn't cause issues. 

Shelly wrinkles her nose at Virginia but doesn’t argue with the woman. Fair enough, they should eat a little healthy along with their chocolate. Now that she knows she has a chance at life again, she needs to eat well and take care of herself again. “Mac and cheese works for me.”

“It’s pasta,” Ivy reminds her, “so you get that and your chocolate. Sounds like you’re winning.” She turns to look at the teenager who let them in wondering just what it is that makes him seem not entirely normal. “Can we go out and eat in the town?”

Sam shrugs, not entirely sure since none of the others have asked so far. “We won’t stop you if you want to go, and we can get you some money too. If you don’t speak Portuguese, that might be a little hard. One of the angels can go with you to translate though, if you’d like.”

Ivy shrugs, not really sure. “We’ll see.” If they can get her Thai food here, no need to leave, right? “What’s for lunch?”

“Pasta salad.” Silas looks over to see a new figure, this man taller than the rest. There’s the hint of something behind his head, and he wonders if the new man is another angel and those are his wings. “Pasta, lots of fresh vegetables, bits of chicken breast, and a salad dressing.”

Sounds like something his wife would make. “Can we eat now?”

“Damn right. You can eat pretty much any time you want around here. You’re just limited to leftovers and snacks if it’s not meal time.” Larissa looks at the new residents of the shelter wondering just how many of them will stick around. “Lunch is generally at noon since it tends to fit in with the class and training schedule.”

“Training?” Alex looks up after taking a seat at the table. He’s not sure if they’ll be served or if they have to get food, but he’s not going to ask. Someone else can do that. “What type of training?”

“I like the self defense training,” Jennifer says while waiting for lunch to be served. It’s gonna take a moment to get used to serving herself again once she’s ready to leave the shelter. “Makes me feel a little better about being on my own, and it’s a good self confidence booster.” 

“They’ll also train you how to beat the shit out of someone.” Eric takes the plates off the side table, prepping for lunch his task this week. It’s simple enough to set out enough for everyone even with the new people. He’s lazy with the silverware though, just handing everyone a fork and spoon. 

“That sounds like a good use of my time.” If the demons come back for him, hell, any demon comes for him, Silas would love to beat the shit out of them. “And you mentioned classes?”

“Yeah. Right now, they’re mostly just high school level classes since the others haven’t graduated yet.” Larissa feels bad for them, all taken when they were still in high school. “Jennifer takes medical classes, I’m working on a bachelor’s in communications, and Eric is working to be a teacher.” 

“I had already started working towards my degree,” Eric announces as Chava starts serving them. He’s pretty sure the goal is to have the residents doing the majority of the tasks around the shelter, but they don’t have enough people yet. “I get to help with some of the classes for the high school which is nice.”

“High school is not nice.” Virginia turns around to see six more people troop into the kitchen, all of them young but not quite kids anymore. “I hate school.”

“But you need a GED if you want a decent job,” three others chant in unison. Apparently that’s one lesson that’s stuck with them. 

“You don’t have to take the classes,” Sam reminds them yet again with a little grin. They probably go through this once a month, and he’s glad that they’re comfortable enough to joke with him. “You could just do the tech training.”

Two of them flip him off even while smirking and grabbing for the food. The older residents laugh at the byplay while digging into their own food. Silas isn’t sure he really understands what’s going on, how they’re so casual, but he doesn’t say anything yet, just eats his meal. 

Virginia watches Silas watch everyone at the table, and it looks like he’s relaxing a little bit with every bite. She already decided that she’s going to stay; where else is she supposed to go? She hopes he relaxes enough to stay as well. He was in Hell even longer than she was, and there’s no guarantee that anything they left behind is still there. 

She also watches Sam. For a demon, he’s fairly relaxed, quick to laugh with the people living in the shelter. She expected to see horns and a tail, but maybe he can use magic to hide them. Or maybe he doesn’t have any. He seems pretty aware of the man sitting to his right, but it’s a little tense between them, like they’re not entirely sure how to act with each other. 

The two relationships she’s seen are both an angel and a demon, and Virginia wonders if that’s why they can get away with a homosexual relationship. She hasn’t really thought about it, but now that she does, she would expect religious beings to have heterosexual relationships. Perhaps the Bible isn’t as accurate as the Church believes. 

Then again, it could be that if a demon is involved, the normal rules go out the window. 

Silverware slamming on the table jerks Virginia out of her thoughts, and she looks up to see Silas glaring at the table. “I don’t get it. Sure, he’s a kid, but how do you look past the fact that he’s a demon? Demons fuck with you and your lives, and then you just accept one and joke around with him? How the fuck does that work?”

Silence falls around the table, and Virginia wonders who will break it first. Someone’s going to have to say something eventually. Whoever does, she really hopes it takes away the hollow look in Sam’s eyes. Given how sweet his brother was, she’s willing to give him a chance. Being a demon doesn’t mean he has to be awful, does it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick recap based on a comment. In chapter 48 when the residents meet Dean, he tells them that he's a demon and that Sam's his brother which is how they know he's a demon. Hope that clears up any confusion about how Victoria knows that Sam's a demon.


	52. Chapter 52

Lucifer crawls out of bed, something bugging him in the back of his head. Michael doesn’t move, still fully asleep, but he still does his best to shut the door quietly. He walks through the corridors, nodding to the occasional angel on patrol. Hopefully if he walks around long enough, he’ll get tired again. 

They’re just napping, but they want to have as much energy as possible for Wrath’s attack. It’s not like a few hours of sleep one way or the other is going to make a huge difference, but it’s a mental thing. The more sleep he gets, the more prepared he’ll be. 

Eventually he ends up back in their room sitting on the bed and watching Michael sleep. He’s not there too long before an arm winds around his waist. “You’re supposed to be sleeping, not creeping on me as I sleep.”

“I went for a walk, tried to get tired again, but something’s bugging me, and I can’t sleep. Watching you seemed like a good way to pass the time.” Yeah, it’s a creeper thing, but his mate is beautiful, and it’s not often that Lucifer gets a moment to appreciate it without interruption. 

Michael sighs and pulls himself up by Lucifer’s shoulders, unfurling his wings to wrap them up together. “Can you tell specifically what’s bugging you, or is it too vague for that?”

“It’s Hell related, that’s for sure. These feelings seem a little different than what I felt in Heaven, so that’s the only thing that makes sense. I don’t know if it’s us just newness that’s getting to me or the sense of something coming, but we’ll see.” Lucifer’s instincts are telling him that it’s something coming, but he can’t be completely sure. 

Fully awake now, Michael kisses his mate’s cheek and gets off the bed. A wave of his hand and he’s dressed in a tunic and light armor, ready to go. “Wrath is likely coming soon. We should start getting people ready, at least dressed and armed. We need to move the second we get warning Wrath enters our space.”

Lucifer follows suit with dressing while following Michael out. “Do you really think this is going to work, leaving the space empty then jumping on them?” It sounds just a little too out there, but that might just be why it works. 

“I do. Wrath might have been a warrior before becoming a Sin, but leadership is still new to him. Trying to come up with a new plan on the fly won’t be easy, and the demons will be looking for new orders when we pounce.” Michael really likes the plan just because it’s something new. “It’ll work.”

“I have faith in you,” Lucifer tells him before they split up and start preparing the troops. Everyone’s already somewhat ready every moment they’re in Hell, but it’s time to step up from readiness to action. 

Half an hour later, Michael and Lucifer rejoin in the kitchen to round up the remaining angels. Castiel and Dean look up from the spelled map with identical frowns. “What’s going on?” Castiel asks while looking back down at the map. 

“Lucifer’s got a feeling,” Michael explains, studying the map as well, wishing it’d give them a lot more information than it does. 

“Huh.” Castiel looks over at Dean, his squirming around the reason they’re not in bed anymore. “Must be serious. Dean couldn’t sleep either.”

“I think helping Lucifer connected us a little,” Dean admits with a little shrug, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “Whatever nerves he’s feeling, I’m feeling them too.”

Well that could get awkward. Michael really doesn't need his nephew knowing every time they get up to something. “You’re feeling everything or just Hell things?”

“Just Hell things,” thank goodness because Dean really doesn’t want to know that much about them, “and I bet it’ll fade with time. It’s just because we’re so close to when I helped you reconnect with Hell.”

Lucifer understands what Dean’s saying and agrees with his assessment about it fading with time. “You think Wrath is attacking soon?”

“That’s what you’re focused on,” Dean reminds him, “and the magic will pick up on that. So not only is it keeping track of Hell and letting you sense what’s around you and to use the magic, it’s probably picking up on Wrath’s movements, like him just walking around.”

“Are you too aware then?” Castiel looks over at his brothers, slightly worried. “Will you be able to tell the difference between him walking around and him using a portal?”

“Using a portal requires magic as well, not just movement,” Lucifer reminds him, with a little shrug, reminding himself as well. He can do this, he can face his past and make a difference to help his family. “I’ll notice the difference.”

“Good.” Castiel understands why Lucifer spent so much time away from Hell, why he buried himself in Heaven, but he still appreciates the fact that he’s coming back. They can work in Hell just fine without Lucifer, but it never hurts to have more angels on your side. “Just let us know, and we’ll be ready.”

Lucifer falls to his knees seconds later, Michael barely catching him to prevent his head hitting the map table. “What happened?” He looks up a Dean, glaring as he tries to hide his panic. “Could whatever you did to him earlier cause this reaction?”

Dean shakes his head, his whole body slightly shaking. “No, that was Wrath creating a portal to move. He’s just not used to feeling that kind of movement anymore.” 

“What he said,” Lucifer manages to say while getting back up to his feet. “I’m alright.” He leans over the map and lets his instincts guide him to point at a portion of Hell that he knows is right. “Wrath is here.” 

“Then let’s move. We don’t want him to get too far away from that spot before we can pen him in.” Michael starts heading out, checking over his shoulder to make sure that the others are following. They nod, hands already landing on sword hilts. Wrath is not getting out of this unscathed. 

\----------

Paimon looks around at the empty section of Hell wondering just what the fuck is going on. They moved to a different portion than the days before, but it isn’t far enough away that they should have reached unclaimed territory. Just to make sure, Paimon sniffs the surrounding air to make sure he can smell the angelic magic. 

“Where are they?” Furfur looks around, pissed that there aren’t any angels around. He was really looking forward to making them bleed. “It’s not like an angel to just give up territory.” 

“Spread out,” Paimon demands, already heading for a corridor of his own. “When you find an angel, shout so that we can join you.” 

His soldiers spread out, nodding as they obey the orders. Sitri gathers her platoon and heads in the opposite direction of Wrath. Once she finds the angels, she wants them for herself, wants a chance to prove herself to Wrath. The sooner he trusts her to do her job, the sooner he leaves her the fuck alone. 

She does not need to be supervised at all. Sitri can raise Hell all on her own, dammit.

The further they get from their initial entrance, the tenser Sitri gets. If this is angelic territory, where the Hell are the angels? She does not like this. She keeps her instincts on high alert, waiting for an ambush. They’re in the middle of nowhere in Hell, and she doesn’t know enough to know if there’s a good place for an ambush up ahead. 

“This is not good,” Victor says, hand tensing up on the hilt of his sword. “Angels don’t just give up territory.” 

Having someone else of the same opinion as her doesn’t make her feel any better. “Well, the angels will turn up eventually. Either they’ll come back for their territory, or we’ll find them where they’re hiding.”

She doesn’t get a spoken response, just a weird gurgling sound. Sitri turns to see Victor staring at her with a sword sticking out of his neck, an angel twisting the blade to create a giant hole in his neck. She jumps to the side, making sure that no one can do the same to her, pulling out both of her swords, ready to deal with the angels. 

Yahel doesn’t bother swinging at where the demon was standing knowing that she’ll move. Demons are smart enough to anticipate an attack, so he waits for her counter attack. Sure enough the swords come straight for his head, but Yahel didn’t start fighting yesterday. 

As they go back and forth, Yahel can’t help the massive grin that crosses his face as they cross swords. This is why he does it, to feel alive, to feel his blood singing in his veins. One sword comes uncomfortably close to his wings, and he laughs while pulling them back and dancing out of the way, lashing out at her wings in response. 

Sitri stares at the angel, shocked at the laughter. She thought only demons laughed at danger like that, angels too stuck up to enjoy a fight. Pity he’s an angel because she thinks she could grow to like him. “Where the fuck did you all go?”

“Not here.” Cheeky answer with a cheeky grin. Definitely not what she normally encounters with angels. “We decided to shake it up, make you really work for it.” 

Pissed by the taunting, Sitri lets the feeling flow through her to add a little umph to her sword blows. The angel continues to deflect them all, the two of them moving around the others fighting near them, but he’s starting to slow, and Sitri senses blood. 

“Then you should have made sure that you can stand up to us.” She grins when he slips on blood on the rocks, thrusting down to stab him through the heart. 

But her arm doesn’t respond the way she expects. Instead of thrusting down with all of her strength behind it, her arm just flops down to rest at her side, sword falling further to the ground. As her head slips down as well, she finally sees the sword sticking through her heart. 

“I can’t stand up to you,” Yahel teases her, getting up from the ground after his purposeful slip, “but Drora can.”

His partner raises an eyebrow at him as the demon slips off her sword. “Seriously? I know we’re winning, and I know she was the last demon to dispatch, but really? You could learn to take things a little more seriously.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” Yahel winks at her while leaning in to kiss her cheek. “We won, so cheer up.”

She really doesn’t want to cave to that cheeky grin, but there’s no stopping her responding grin. “Alright. Let’s get back to our portion of Hell and report to Commander Michael. Are taking care of the bodies?”

“Let’s just burn them.” It’ll smell, and it’ll take forever to get the smell out of their noses, but it’s easier than trying to bury the bodies after digging through the stone. “Simple enough to get us back home soon.”

It’s nasty, but Drora knows that he’s right. She waves over the rest of their troop, and they gather the bodies to bring them all together for efficient burning. She manifests a spell to try and deal with the smell, but it’s like the sulfur, pervasive and not going away. “I hate this place.”

“Me too, but at least we won’t have to be here forever,” Yahel reminds her because it definitely could be worse. It feels like forever between breaks sometimes, but they get plenty of time on Earth or in Heaven between service periods. “And eventually, we might be able to work on Earth too.”

“Work on Earth?” Drora turns to look at Yahel, totally confused. “What are you talking about?” The demons on Earth are generally so weak that they’re not worth their time. 

Yahel walks her through the rumors he’s heard about a shelter on Earth designed to help humans rescued from Hell. “I’m not sure what I’d do in the shelter, but I’d be willing to help out around a shelter, willing to help the humans.”

Sounds like a great idea to Drora, helping people, but she’s not really sure that it’ll work out. “Can humans really come back from what they might go through in Hell? Demons aren’t exactly nice to their slaves.”

“Something tells me that if anyone can figure it out, this kid can,” Yahel tells her as they head back to their part of Hell. “He started planning the shelter when he was like ten or something, and he actually started it at sixteen. The kid’s plenty capable, and he’s got the archangels helping him. He’s got this.”

Right, Drora’s heard about Sam, the demon child living with Commander Castiel, the Commander’s mate’s brother. “Well, we’ll see how it goes, see how successful he is. I wish him the best of it though. The fewer people we have ending up back in Hell, the better.”

Yahel nods his agreement as they step through the portal back to their temporary home. If he can make enough of a difference, perhaps they can stop coming to Hell for good. One can always hope. 


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't get these chapters up yesterday. I've been reading Stucky fics, and then I watched Captain America and The Avengers, and then it was after midnight, so it didn't happen. Sorry!

It’s not long before Paimon knows that something’s really wrong. From the beginning, he’s known that the angels wouldn’t give up the territory over nothing, and now he knows why they left the space empty. With every step he’s taken without seeing an angel, he’s relaxed, and now he’s facing three angels without being on his highest guard.

“Wrath.” Michael bows to Paimon, mockery lining every inch of his body before he launches himself at the new Sin. Paimon barely gets his sword up in time, and then the battle’s on. He’s moving faster than he’s ever moved before, Michael a step above anyone else he’s ever had to fight. 

Michael starts slower than he normally would, getting a feel for Wrath’s fighting style. All around him, angels face off with the other demons in the area, drawing them away from his battle with Wrath, giving him the space he needs to maneuver. 

The demon isn’t bad. Clearly he’s been a warrior of Hell for long enough to become formidable, but Michael’s no slouch. He’s an archangel of Heaven, and nothing will stand in his way. As he picks up on the aggressive style that has him playing a little more defense than he’d like, Michael starts to push back. 

Although a sword fight is give and take, sometimes you have to take a few steps back before you can move forward again, Paimon is moving back a lot more than he likes. He tries to push forward, tries for just little cuts rather than focusing on large maiming wounds, but he’s not getting anywhere. 

“Why?” he snarls, hoping to get a little information before he’s forced to flee. “Why a trick like this?”

“Because we knew it’d work.” Paimon turns at the new voice to see Lucifer, the traitor, standing with his wings spread out, emphasizing his anglicism. “You might want this territory, but it’s ours, and we’re not letting you take it.” 

“Fuck that.” Paimon launches himself at Lucifer, but Michael gets in his way again. Right, his fucking mate. He lets his hatred of the angels fill him, fuel him, and he summons another sword to deal with both of them at the same time. 

Lucifer steps back to let Michael deal with Wrath, focusing on just feeling him out instead. He can feel the magic on him, Greed and Envy, but he can't quite tell what it does. Clearly there’s the ability to monitor, but the level of control possible is entirely unclear. 

And there’s something else there. There’s another sense of magic lingering on Wrath, and he can’t tell if it’s a lingering sense of Abaddon because she embodied Wrath for so long, or if there’s another player involved. Although the obvious answer is a Sin, there are older entities in Hell that could be involved as well as any Duke that’s been in Hell long enough to amass serious levels of power. 

It becomes clear soon enough that Paimon doesn’t have the skill to defeat Michael. If he had a few more decades as Wrath, he could more effectively pull on its power, but he’s not ready for that at the moment. Screaming with rage, Paimon gives it a little bit more, giving it literally everything he has for several seconds. 

Michael stumbles back a few steps, clearly not expecting that sort of an action, and Paimon disengages to run back to the portal. He sends out a retreat order to his soldiers, wanting to bring back as many as he can for the next assault. The portal will last for awhile even after he’s gone through, so it’s up to his soldiers to get themselves home. 

It’s not his job to get them home, just to give them a path back. 

Lucifer follows after him, shaking off Michael’s hand on his arm. “I’m not going to fight him, just want more time near him.” A part of him hoped that his renewed connection to Hell would make it easier for him to figure out what the feeling was, but apparently not. 

Michael doesn’t like it, but he stays close to his mate as they follow Wrath, close enough to sense him but far enough away he doesn’t sense a threat. Lucifer can handle himself, but that doesn’t mean he wants to see his mate fighting a Sin. When he jumps through a portal, likely the one that triggered Lucifer’s senses, they stop following. 

“Damn it.” Lucifer kicks at a rock, still swearing as it skitters away. “I should have been able to figure it out.”

“Not necessarily.” Michael pulls his mate in for a hug, trying to soothe his frustration. “The third party could be a minor player, one who’s just there enough to monitor things and to be sensed without being identified. It might be beyond your sense to pick up in a few minutes in the middle of a battle.”

“Blood. Did you get any of his blood on your sword?” Lucifer spins around to look at Michael’s sword only to be greeted by perfectly clean metal. “You automatically clean your sword, don’t you?”

For the first time in his life, Michael wishes he wasn’t quite so clean. “Yes, I do, because demon blood can be caustic.” His mate wrinkles his nose, clearly aware of that reality. “But if that’s what you need, then I can get a different sword. Next time I face off with Wrath, I can make sure to collect some of his blood.”

“Why would you want his blood?” The couple spins around to see Dean waltzing up to them, Castiel close behind. “Demon blood is nasty.” Every time he cuts himself while training, they have to take an extra moment to really clean up. His blood could be poisonous to the angels, depending on what family they’re in. It’s convoluted, and Dean doesn’t really get it, but he knows enough to make sure he keeps his blood away from others. 

They did make sure that he’s not poisonous to Cas though because that’d be really bad. 

“To see if it’ll be enough for me to figure out who else is wrapped up in Wrath,” Lucifer explains even as they make their way towards the portal that they used. “We need to know everyone that might be involved with Wrath if we’re going to accurately guess his actions and reactions to things.”

Well, that makes sense, but that’s kinda gross. Dean really doesn’t like blood unless it’s under his feet. His sword works like Michael’s automatically cleaning itself, and he spells his clothes to do a similar thing when he’s down in Hell. Blood is nasty. “Better you than me.” 

Lucifer cuffs him gently upside the head before ruffling his hair. “Might need you though. If you can differentiate between Greed, Envy, and the mystery sense, you might be able to help explain it to me so I can identify it.” 

Dean really hasn’t been a fan of blood since he learned it could poison his family, but if that’s what Lucifer needs to get things done, then he’ll help out with it. “If you really need me, then I’ll help out.” Just like he did while helping facilitate Lucifer’s connection to Hell.

“Thanks.” Lucifer would like to think that he can do all of this on his own, but he doesn’t know enough to manage. 

Michael knows how his mate feels about this, not wanting to be involved with Hell and likely wanting to do everything on his own. He pulls him closer to make sure Lucifer knows that he has Michael’s support. “We’ll figure it out in time. We made a start, pushing Wrath out, and next time, we’ll be ready for him again. We can handle this.” 

Castiel watches his brothers support each other as they leave through one of the many portals Lucifer created for the angels to move through Hell. Of all the advantages from his connection to Hell, this is one Castiel really appreciates. They can move freely now rather depending on small spells to create short, one time use portals. 

“I need to learn how to do that,” Dean whispers, pulling Castiel’s attention down to his mate. “Portals all over Hell that will last until the angels don’t need them anymore? Definitely have to learn how to do that.”

“I’m sure Lucifer can teach you,” Castiel assures him, “and Sam can come up with a spell to help if Lucifer’s actions are too instinctual.” 

Dean wrinkles his nose even as they head for the kitchens. “Great, more lessons and classes. At least these will be more practical than some of the others.” 

More practical? “What are you talking about? Your lessons are about fighting in Hell and working with angels. What isn’t practical about that?”

Dean snorts and reaches for one of the toasty panini the cooks made sure to have ready for when they returned. “Because I’m not going to work in a garrison like that, and everyone knows that. As soon as I’ve got enough training and skills to satisfy everyone, I’ll be working with you and Michael and Lucifer. I’ll be leading, not obeying orders. Sure, it’s important training, but no one really takes it seriously because of that.”

Castiel should have known better than that, to assume that training would have gone off without a hitch. “I’ll step in and have a word with them. You won’t be as effective a leader if you don’t receive the full training.”

He definitely should have said something earlier, but Dean enjoyed having extra time off to spend with Cas. Maybe he won’t mind it so much now that he can visit Cas in Hell. “Thanks.” He gets up on his knees to kiss Cas on the cheek. 

“Anything for you.” Castiel looks over at his brothers, dropping his voice to hide under the babble of the other angels in the kitchen. “Now what? Wrath isn’t going to just go away no matter how fast he fled today. We can’t keep doing that. The trick won’t work again.” 

Michael sighs while shaking his head. “Honestly, I’m not sure. We need something to turn the tide, or we’re going to be scrapping it out with him until he gives up.” Or they lose enough angels that it’s not worth it anymore. Wrath’s a punk, too new to the position for Michael to accept walking away. 

“There’s more than one way to make a trap,” Castiel reminds his brother with a little shrug. “We can look into other options for traps, can set them all along our territory. As long as we slow Wrath and his troops down, we’ll keep the upper hand.” 

“We aren’t really doing things like that in class,” Dean admits, “but I’m sure I could come up with things. Sam might have some ideas too.” 

“Don’t bother Sam unless you get desperate,” Michael tells him while mulling over the idea of traps. That’s a little underhand compared to the angels’ normal actions, but no reason they can’t start doing it. Whatever they need to do to protect their people without giving up their morals. “He’s got a lot to do with the shelter, and we don’t want to distract him too much.”

Fair enough. Dean doesn’t mind doing a little research if it means taking out more demons. No one should have to go through what was done to him, and Dean’s going to try and help as many people as he can. He needs to have more of a goal than just hurting demons or he won’t really be any better than the demons. 

“And I’ll work on the weapon that they brought back recently,” Lucifer adds, taking Michael’s hand, trying to soothe away some of his stress. It’s not so strong when they’re in Heaven, but when Michael’s down in Hell, he feels the loss of every angel and works extra hard to stop anymore from being lost. “If we can find a way to turn it against demons rather than angels, that might just be the thing we need to make Wrath back off.”

“And where will his ambition go if he can’t take it out on us?” Castiel doesn’t really mind demon on demon violence, it’s better than demon on angel violence, but it’s harder to keep track of the demons if the angels aren’t involved. “He isn’t ready for an all out assault on another Sin, and guerrilla tactics against the other Sins will just make them angry with him.”

“Unless he makes actual progress,” Lucifer counters, doing his best to recall the way the Sins jockeyed for power while he was in Hell. “Even if it’s only small progress, small irritants that the Sins can mostly brush off, it’ll still look good. It shows that he’s confident in his power, so they’ll leave him alone  _ because  _ they can brush off the attacks.” 

Dean has no illusions that angels’ politics are perfect and easy, but he’s still glad that he doesn’t live in Hell, doesn’t have to deal with this shit. “We’ll just have to find a way to monitor the demons. With Lucifer’s renewed connection to Hell, I’m sure we can figure something out eventually.” 

Lucifer agrees, but he also doesn’t want to over promise on what he can do to help. Yes, he’s invested in this now, but he doesn’t want to disappoint anyone. “Yeah, we’ll figure something out.” They’ve got the experience and the knowledge. They can figure it out. They have to. 


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at the shelter, and Silas' concerns that they shouldn't trust Sam because he's a demon.

“It’s different because I’m different.” Sam takes a deep breath looking at Silas and all of the other humans at the table. “I might be a demon, but that doesn’t mean I have to be a nasty person. I was in the same situation you were, held and abused by demons. I don’t like them anymore than you do.”

It feels wrong, like he’s using what happened to him to manipulate the humans into not hating him, but Sam doesn’t have anything else to say. He always wondered how long it’d take for someone to bring up the fact that he’s a demon and use it against him. The first few sets of residents didn’t find out until after they’d been around him long enough not to care. 

Silas stares at the kid, not sure what to think. Yeah, he’s a demon, and Silas wants to hate him, but he’s working with angels. Even if angels might not care too much about humans, they’ve got to be better than demons. “What’d they do to you?”

The kid takes a deep breath and looks down at his lap, the angel next to him moving in closer, probably for support. “I was used as a sex slave. I was too young to use for actual sex acts, but that didn’t prevent people from looking at me or touching me. The only reason I got out was my brother. He was rescued by angels and made them come back for me too. 

“I don’t like demons anymore than you do. I don’t like that they use their nature to justify being evil.” He pauses like he recalls something. “It’s not an excuse, like angels shouldn’t use their righteous goals to justify going too far in the pursuit of that. Every being is responsible for their own actions no matter what they’re born as.

“I’m a demon. My father is a Sin. But I want to help people, want to overcome that. This shelter is how I’m doing that.” Sam meets the human’s eyes for the first time since he started explaining himself. “You don’t have to like it, but that won’t stop me from trying or offering to help.”

Silas tries to figure out the timing in the kid’s life, just how old he was when the demons abused him. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that it’s young enough to make his stomach turn. “So, if we stay, we can leave whenever we want?”

“You can leave whenever you want,” Sam tells him with a little nod, “and we’ll provide you with some cash for wherever you’re going along with a plane ticket there.” 

He looks around at the others at the table, the hopeful looks on their faces, and Silas knows he’s pushing at the wrong thing. “Then thanks. If you’re offering help and a place to stay, then I’ll take it. Heaven knows I don’t have the skills to make it at the moment.”

Sam nods at him before pushing the rest of his breakfast away. “The angels here as well as the current residents can walk you through what happens on a daily basis, the resources available to you. If you have any questions, I’ll be around later.” He excuses himself from the table and heads up to his room. 

Gabriel nods at the humans as well before following Sam. He’s not sure what Sam might want or need from him at the moment, but Gabriel wants to be there just in case. He knocks on the closed door and waits for a response. 

The door cracks open just enough for Sam to peek out at him. He’s still for a moment then opens the door all the way to let Gabriel in. Sam sits on his bed, and Gabriel joins him, not touching him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Sam takes a deep breath, arms wrapping tighter around his knees to his chest. “It feels wrong, using what happened to me to make them trust me.”

Gabriel tries to figure out how to explain his thoughts to Sam. “I think you’re saying the wrong word when you say ‘using’ your experience. That has a negative connotation. You’re just explaining your experience so that they realize you know what they’ve been through. It allows for empathy and sympathy, but it’s not manipulation if that’s what you’re worried about.”

When Gabe puts it that way, Sam does feel a little better. He couldn’t come up with the word himself, but manipulation was exactly it. “Do you think they’ll stick around long enough for us to really help them? Silas doesn’t seem like he really wants the help.” He can understand that, he didn’t want help from Paloma when working with ley lines, but he learned to take it. 

Gabriel shrugs, not sure what he thinks about the new set of residents. “The younger ones look like they’ll stay, like they know they don’t have enough experience to survive in the world on their own. Victoria seems smart enough to stay since we won’t do anything to hurt her. Silas, I’m not so sure, because it’s going to come down to pride and ego.”

For a moment, Sam wonders if perhaps he has the wrong father to deal with Silas, but he pushes that away. His father doesn’t determine how he acts, so that means Sam can work with someone with a little bit of ego. “We can’t treat him like the others,” Sam realizes, relaxing enough to lie back on his bed. “The others are young, were probably young when they were taken and have few life skills, but he seems old enough to have enough skills that he needs polishing, not teaching, and if we try to teach him, he’ll get pissy.”

“Exactly. We might need to start using more teachers now, have a few who focus less on school and more on advising on the changes in the world.” Based on the amount of sulfur still in the humans’ scents, Gabriel can get a rough idea of how long they’ve been in Hell, and they’ve been there for years. The human world changes faster and faster every year, so they’re going to need a run down of new technology at a minimum. 

“We planned for that,” Sam reminds him, gesturing for him lie down too, “so it’ll be fine. The main struggle will be coming up with a new curriculum, not finding a teacher. Perhaps Silas can help us with that. If we show him what’s going on right now, he can tell us what’s different and shape his own curriculum.”

“Working with him should make him feel more comfortable,” Gabriel assumes, “but I’m basing that on my experience with angels, not humans. They’re both sentient beings, but they each have their own motivations.”

Sam rolls to prop his head on one hand so that he’s looking at Gabriel while talking. “If we include him, are transparent, hopefully he’ll stay. He seems like someone who would try on his own, and if he failed, he’d just get mad, and things would get worse. I don’t want that to happen.”

How did Gabriel get so lucky to have such a caring mate? “While I understand that, and I understand your motivation, wanting to help everyone, you know you can’t, right? There will be some even who spend time here but still don’t quite make it.”

He hates seeing Sam’s face fall, but it’s better to get it out there now than see him crushed when he sees the first person leave the shelter after staying long enough that Sam gets to know the person. “I know, but that doesn't mean I can’t want to help all of them. It hurts, knowing that there’s something I can do and it didn’t work.”

“If you do everything you can, then the rest is up to them.” Gabriel pushes up on his own arm to meet Sam’s eyes because this is serious. “You can only live your life. You can’t live everyone else’s life for them, just give them the tools to live their life.”

Sam understands what Gabe is saying, but that doesn’t necessarily make it any easier. “Sure, I can hear you say that and understand, but that doesn’t mean I really get it. I probably won’t until I have to actually deal with it.” It actually reminds him a little of a conversation he had years ago with Paloma about death and grief. He won’t really understand time heals all wounds until he loses someone like that. 

Gabriel reaches out to pull Sam in for a hug, pulling him off balance resulting in them crashing together as he falls on his back. “Then I’ll be there when it happens, and we’ll figure it out together, alright?”

It’s a little awkward, but Sam manages to nod. He shifts around to get comfortable on top of Gabe, eyes drifting closed a few times, but Sam tries to keep them open. He has work to do, new plans to make for new classes, even if Silas is going to help with that too. But apparently he’s more tired than he realized for some reason. 

Eventually he gives in, closing his eyes and letting his breathing slow down. “Do you have plans for the afternoon?”

“Nope. If you don’t have plans, then I’m pretty much left to my own devices, and I don’t have anything pressing to do.” Sure, he could come up with something to do with ease, but he doesn’t mind taking an afternoon off. “Napping?”

He doesn’t get an answer, so Gabriel looks down to see that Sam is already asleep. Sam must be doing something to wear himself out, but Gabriel has no idea what. Maybe it’s just the stress from dealing with their recent change in relationship. Even if Sam feels like he has things under control, he’s going to stress until he has proof that things are alright. 

Gabriel runs his fingers through Sam’s hair which reaches down to his shoulders now. He wonders if that was intentional or just a side effect of being too focused on the shelter. Sam looks good like this, but he looked good with the short hair he had as a little kid too. Gabriel keeps his longer so lovers have something to pull on, and he wonders if Sam will like that too. 

Even as he keeps playing with his hair, Gabriel drifts off to sleep himself. It’s peaceful up in their room but not so much in the residents’ shared spaces. While Silas felt a little better after hearing the kid’s story, he just can’t settle. 

“What’s bothering you?” Victoria pulls the man down to sit next to her on the sofa. “Everyone else seems fairly settled here, so what is it that keeps you from relaxing?”

“It’s too good to be true.” He spits out the words before thinking about them, an indicator of how honest they are. “Especially run by a demon. So what’s the catch?”

Victoria sighs because he isn’t the only one who’s had that thought. “Honestly, I don’t know. There are plenty of charities in the world that help you without a catch. If this place was run by humans, I probably wouldn’t question it. But after years in Hell, I can’t help but wonder. I’d push harder, but I’m too old to start over again on my own. I need them.”

“I’ve been down there long enough that the world has changed enough I’m not sure I could do it on my own either,” Silas admits, remembering the quick glimpses of the world they got while heading to the shelter. Even in areas that are poorer, almost slums, he caught sight of technology people couldn't even dream of before he was taken. 

“So come up with an exit strategy,” Victoria suggests with a little shrug, watching the younger survivors talk among themselves. “Take advantage of everything they’re offering, but have a plan for leaving as soon as it becomes too much for you to be comfortable any longer.” 

That sounds like the best of both worlds, something else that makes Silas uncomfortable along with something with no strings. “You’ll keep an eye on them too, right?”

Victoria nods, willing to promise something she was already planning on doing. She knows better than to walk into something blindly. “We’ll keep an eye on them and an eye out for the others. I don’t want to see these kids hurt, not after they got pulled out of Hell.” Literally. 

They shake hands before picking beds in the sleeping space, happier with the situation than they expected. After so long shoved together with others, they expected to want privacy, but the idea of being alone is actually worse. There are private bedrooms, but for now, they’ll take the mix of privacy and shared space that the three quarter walls offer them. Later, once they’re more settled, they’ll pick their own rooms. 

With the soft hum of voices in the background, Silas finds himself drifting off pretty quickly. Apparently being rescued is exhausting, so he settles in for a nap, comfortable enough to sleep for the moment. Someone will wake him up for dinner. 


	55. Chapter 55

Dinner runs smoothly, tempers all improved by various naps throughout the afternoon. Silas and Sam even manage to have a nice conversation, Silas trying to teach him about football, Sam completely lost. Gabriel vaguely remembers when the sport started, but it’s never been his favorite. A little too much brutality even for the athleticism the players show. 

“Do you have any sports in Heaven?” Silas finally asks, exasperated after football, baseball, basketball, and hockey all seem to go over the kid’s head. 

“Well, Dean talks about games played during training to help increase mobility, agility, and such, but I don’t think there’s anything like what you’re explaining.” Sam turns to Gabe, leaning into his side a little. He’s not super sure about the public show of feelings, but after learning that Gabe is courting him, he’s a little less nervous.

“We have some games, but they’re all training related.” Gabriel slips an arm around Sam, glad to see him relaxing a little about them. “Angels don’t meet up together often enough to have the same type of following for teams that humans have. There are some angels who cheer for human teams, but they’re generally lower ranking angels who deal with humans more often.”

Lower ranking angels? Silas snorts. “Is dealing with humans a bad thing, something only for the weak?”

“Not exactly,” Gabriel tries to correct him. “Higher ranking angels are more powerful, so they deal with demons because demons are stronger than humans. It’s not a punishment for weaker angels, just a logical division of labor.”

“There’s nothing wrong with humans,” Sam continues, “which you can see by the number of higher ranking angels who spend their free time on Earth with humans.” 

Kid has a point there, they both do, but it still kind of rankles. “Just how easy would it be for a high ranking angel to crush me?”

“Very easy.” Sam takes another bite of food before he realizes just how ominous that sounds. “Not that any of the angels would do that unless you really, seriously pissed them off, but yeah, very easy.”

Not very soothing, but Silas appreciates the effort. “And how often are there angels on Earth, outside of you all now?” Just how surrounded are they on Earth?

Gabriel knows Sam has no idea, and the others aren’t involved in staffing, so Gabriel gives it his best shot. “Well, there are guardian angels who live on Earth their whole lives. They’re more human than others, choosing to live a human life over an angelic one, and there are thousands on Earth. As for visitors, probably a few dozen at a time. Earth is popular.”

Well, Earth is pretty awesome. Not everybody on it, but the majority of people aren't too bad. Demons will always be worse than humans, not that that’s too hard. “Do humans ever go to Heaven? Before they die, of course.”

“Not that I’ve ever heard,” Gabriel says, looking over at the other angels at the table. “You?”

They all shake their heads, no personal experience with it nor having heard of it. 

“Heaven is a little less physical, less corporal than Earth or Hell.” Sam wonders just how hard it would be to bring a human to Heaven. “I could see how that would be problematic, bringing a non magical being to Heaven. After death, souls are non corporeal, allowing them to easily stay in Heaven.” 

Virginia looks at the angels, the talk of souls sparking a thought she hasn’t had in a while. “Does religion really play such a large role in deciding where souls end up after death?”

Gabriel sighs, a little surprised it took them so long to ask. “No. We have the ability to analyze a human’s life, see what type of a person they were. Good people, people who tried hard to be good, end up in Heaven, those who didn't in Hell. Purgatory is merely where everyone waits for processing.”

“And people who have very different religions?” It’s nice to hear that intentions mean more than religion. Virginia met more than a few people who go to church every Sunday who are nasty, nasty people. “What about people who believe in Buddha or the Hindu gods?”

“It’s about intentions,” Enoch reiterates with a little shrug. “If they were good people, they’ll end up in Heaven. We appear as their gods to them, various angels playing various roles until the human’s memories completely fade and they no longer care.” 

Perhaps the church really isn’t as good as it thinks it is. God may be good, but that doesn’t mean religion is. Virginia hopes she hasn’t made too many mistakes. “And the people who aren’t more good or bad? What about the average people?”

Enoch shrugs, not really sure since he hasn’t been involved in judging souls. That’s not his specialty. “I assume that no one is perfectly balanced, but if it has come up, I’m sure the angels in charge have a way of handling it.” He makes a mental note to see if he can get a note to one of those angels to get an answer to share later. 

Virginia doesn’t have many hopes of actually getting an answer, but she appreciates the sentiment. “Interesting. Fingers crossed I’ve done what I need to.”

“The majority of humans end up in Heaven,” Enoch tells her, “even if it takes some of them a long time to get there. If you are obviously good, then you move through Purgatory faster than those who are pretty normal and just barely more good than bad.”

Well in that case, Virginia has a feeling she’s in for a long wait even if she makes it to Purgatory. Done with the theology conversation, she focuses on her food again as the younger girls start talking fashion with the angels trying to learn all they can about current trends on Earth. 

Done with his food and not interested in fashion, Sam excuses himself from the table to head up to his room. He clears his plate then heads back past the table to leave, a hand on his waist stopping him. Gabe looks up at him, an eyebrow raised, and Sam freezes, not sure how to respond. Does he want company tonight? 

Is he  _ ready  _ for company?

Curious and willing to see what they might get up to, Sam takes Gabe’s hand to pull him along to his room. A quick wave of his hand will get his dishes to the kitchen. A bright feeling bubbles up inside him as they run up to his room, but once they reach his room, nerves start to settle in. 

And Gabriel can see them. They might still be holding hands, but the rest of Sam is tense. As much as Gabriel wants to move this forward, he is not going to push. So he walks Sam over to his bed, sitting him on the edge before taking a seat in the chair at the foot of the bed. “It’s nice to see you and Silas getting along. Gives me hope that he’ll stick around.” 

“And that he’ll work with us to make his time here as productive as possible.” Sam rolls over to lie on his back, not bothering to keep an eye on Gabe. He doesn’t need to. But he doesn’t know where to go with this either. With them. 

So he pushes aside his nerves because he  _ knows  _ Gabriel won’t laugh at him, won’t make fun of him, and asks, “So, what do two people do in a relationship, when one is courting and the other is receptive of that?”

Jumping right into things apparently. Gabriel gets up to sit on the edge of the bed, close to Sam but not quite touching. When he doesn’t flinch or tense up again, Gabriel stays put. “Depends on the two people want. If they’re far along in their relationship, like Cassie and Dean, or Mike and Lucy, then there are lots of things that the couple can do. If it’s a newer relationship, they tend to start slower, figure out what they like, and go from there.” 

“So what’s the first step?” Sam sits up and turns on the bed so they’re facing each other. Taking it step by step helps Sam relax, treat it like he’s learning something new which is a familiar process for him. 

“Well, a lot of couples start with holding hands, hugs, spending time together.” Gabriel moves so that they’re sitting right next to each other, so he can put an arm around Sam so they’re hugging. “Then they generally move on to kissing.” Gabriel is so happy he looked into the early steps of human relationships. It’s been way too long since he was in a relationship, and humans seem to have specific steps, unlike angels, which might help Sam feel more comfortable. Step by step is something he does on a regular basis. 

Sam hesitates for a moment, trying to figure out if he’s ready for this. He stretches his neck up to press a kiss to Gabe’s cheek, lingering over how smooth his skin feels. When nothing bad happens, he does it again, this time the kiss closer to his mouth but not quite on his lips. He wants to try another kiss, wants to kiss him on the lips, but he isn’t sure if he’s ready for that. 

Gabriel can still feel the slight pressure on his cheek from both kisses when he turns to face Sam. He runs a finger along his lips, watching the very tip of Sam’s tongue come out to chase his thumb. “May I?”

There’s a moment of silence, of stillness, then Sam inclines his head, giving consent. Gabriel leans in and presses their lips together, soft and simple. When Sam doesn’t pull away, he does it again, the soft pressure affecting him to his core. 

Finally, he gets to kiss his mate. 

He steals a third kiss, just as soft as the first two, then sits up again, keeping his arm around Sam. “Kisses are a common next step.” 

As much as he likes rules and steps, Sam doesn’t think he wants to hear about them anymore. There’s a pleasant feeling running through him, and thinking dulls that sensation. “I like kissing.” Emboldened by the pleasure he feels, Sam gets up on his knees and pushes Gabe’s shoulders so that he’s lying down then moves to straddle his hips. 

The action results in their bodies rubbing together in interesting ways. Sam knows the physical effects of arousal, but feeling it on someone else’s body is completely new. And he likes how that makes his body feel.

So Sam rolls his hips, rubbing their crotches together while leaning down to kiss Gabe again. He knows there’s more to kissing than just this, but he’s happy to start here. He keeps kissing Gabe and rubbing their hips together, chasing something but not entirely sure what. 

This is torture. Gabriel wants to do nothing more than grab Sam’s hips so that they’re grinding against each other, hard, not just brushing against each other. He wants to use his tongue to force Sam’s lips open, taste him inside and out, but he holds back. This is so much more than he was expecting when they came upstairs, 

So Gabriel lets Sam do what he wants, lets Sam take his pleasure while getting some of his own. Eventually, Sam’s hips lose their rhythm, shaking and stuttering over Gabriel’s crotch instead of rubbing regularly. Gabriel reaches up to take his hips, trying to give him something to anchor himself. 

Sam’s hips keep going, that thing he’s chasing closer than before. He stops kissing Gabe, too focused on everything else to kiss, closing his eyes and burying his face in Gabe’s neck. A few seconds later, Sam stiffens as massive pleasure bursts through him. 

Gabe’s arms wrap around him as he shudders through what his mind reminds him is an orgasm. It feels amazing, better than he expected based on what he read, and now Sam is starting to realize why Dean spends so much time with Castiel having sex. 

“Wow.” Sam feels sticky, and he can tell Gabe hasn’t reached the same pleasure, but he has no more energy. Gabe chuckles and rolls his hips before stiffening himself, reaching his own orgasm. Now he figures they’re both sticky, but a wave of Gabe’s hand fixes that. “We should do that again.”

Laughing, Gabriel rolls them around so that he’s spooning his mate, ecstatic over how the night turned out. “We can do it whenever you want. As long as it’s private,” he adds. 

Sam giggles, sounding closer to his age than he normally does. “Obviously only in private. I’m not interested in doing anything like that in front of other people.”

Good, because Gabriel has no interest in sharing. “So, not too much?”

“Not too much,” Sam assures him. He rolls over, not meeting Gabriel’s eyes. “Thank you, for going slow. I’m sure you’ve done more than this before.”

“Yes, but you’re more important to me than just sex,” Gabriel reminds him, “so I can wait.” 

“Thank you,” Sam repeats, glad his mate is so understanding. He wants to say more, but he’s tired now, too tired to keep talking. “Sleep now?”

Gabriel chuckles again. “Sleep now.” There’s plenty of time to talk in the morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's so adorable and curious, and I'm glad he's learning to get what he wants!


	56. Chapter 56

“This isn’t going to work.” Pissed, Wrath paces his throne room, trying to come up with a new plan. “If the angels can kill so many of us at once, attacking them isn’t worth it.”

Jacob stays silent, standing along the wall. Hopefully he can fade into the background enough that he isn’t targeted. Pithius dares to stand closer, but he’s trying to get more power. No risk, no gain, after all.

“My lord, perhaps there are better targets for us.” He stands straight, not flinching when Wrath turns to glare at him. “After all, the angels aren’t the only powerful ones in Hell.”

Wrath raises an eyebrow, and Jacob wonders if he’s referring to what he thinks he’s referring to. “And you’re talking about…” He trails off, leaving an opening for Pithius to continue. 

“The other Sins. We’ve worked hard to consolidate your power,” Pithius reminds his Sin, “and you have plenty now. If you choose a Sin to target, we can start taking his territory for you.” 

It’s a nice offer, but Jacob isn’t sure it’s the smartest one. No, they don’t want to piss off the angels, but they really can’t afford to piss off any Sins that can wipe them out. For example, Lilith could destroy Wrath without breaking a sweat. 

“I’d suggest Sloth,” he offers up, wanting to stay a part of the conversation. “Everyone leaves him alone, so he’s grown complacent. He’ll be the least prepared for an attack out of all the Sins.” 

Wrath gives him a considering look while Pithius glares at him for stealing the spotlight. Really? How does he not expect everyone here to do what’s best for them? “Sloth? Do you have any specific plans for attacking Sloth?”

“At the moment, no. My abilities lie with analyzing the strengths and skills of your men, the resources you have, the current sentiments in Hell. I wouldn’t presume to advise of the best way to attack, just the best place to attack.” Jacob knows what he can and can’t do, and he has no intention of over promising and ending up dead. 

Wrath keeps looking at him for a moment before nodding and starting to pace again. “Very well. I want all of my generals to start making a plan for attacking Sloth. We need more slaves and more territory if people are going to give us the respect we deserve.” He meets as many people’s eyes as possible, trying to make sure they all feel included, important, to give them an incentive to do their best. 

The generals all nod and start filing out of the throne room, subordinates following behind. Jacob waits until they’re all gone, lingering to see if Wrath will want anything else from him. Nothing happens, so he starts to leave. 

“Jacob, a moment.” He pauses, not sure if this is going to be good or bad. 

He turns around to bow at the Sin. “Yes, my lord?”

“How is the research going, the work into finding me more power?” Wrath takes a seat in his throne, lounging across it, the perfect picture of leisure. 

“It is going,” Jacob admits, really wishing he had left with the generals. He has some ideas, but starting with a kind of failure is never good. “As motivated as the three researchers are, they have a lot of tomes to look through, and it isn’t the fastest process. Last I spoke, they made steps towards a spell to assist you, but it wasn’t yet complete.”

Hopefully partial progress is enough. If Wrath really understands the work that goes into magic, they should be okay. 

“Very well. I want you to check on them weekly, make sure that they’re still working as hard as they were at the beginning.” Wrath sits up straighter yet still lounges in his chair. “I want something to give me more power before we begin attacking Sloth and his nobles.”

“Of course, my lord.” He bows again before letting himself out to head for the library and check in on the research. 

“Fuck off, Johnny!” Jacob ducks under the book Maggie chucked through the air, cloaking himself so he can get to the root of the matter via observation. “Just because you’re the researcher doesn’t make you better than me. I’ve already figured out more than you.”

“Oh really?” Johnny straightens up, but as someone only five foot six, it’s not that impressive. “I’ve found a spell that will let Wrath cut out specific nobles from the line of power. He’ll get it directly from the lower nobles so he doesn’t lose power to the higher nobles along the way.” 

Jacob raises an eyebrow, impressed by what he hears. The nobles won’t necessarily like losing some of their power, but they need a strong Sin if they’re going to survive the attacks on Sloth, so it really is in their best interest to cooperate. 

“Well, I found a way to triple the amount of power he gets from humans who give into their wrath.” Jacob can see the smug look on Maggie’s face, and it’s well deserved. No, it’s not a way of getting more power from his demons, but it gives him more power without stealing from his nobles. 

Johnny gapes at her, eyes wide as he opens and closes his mouth several times like he’s trying to figure out what to say. “Tha-that’s not possible. Demons get just a little power from humans, but they don’t harbor enough energy to even take a spell that will boost the meager energy they do give off.”

“Who says the humans have to anchor the spell?” Maggie leans back in her chair, smugness radiating off her. It’s not good to have a slave that confident in her power, but he’ll knock her down a peg in a bit. 

Stepping forward, he drops the cloaking spell, pleased when Johnny jumps, irritated that Maggie doesn’t. “Then where would you anchor the spell?”

“Depends. Either on a building or an object. For example,” she leans forward, eagerness outweighing smugness, “if you find a really angry person, anchor the spell in something he carries with him all the time. And if you find a place where everyone gets mad, you can anchor the spell to the building, or to the ground.” 

Damn. That’s brilliant, but he has to wonder why no one’s done it before. If it’s really that simple, why aren’t all the Sin’s supplementing their power this way? “Alright, and what’s the catch?”

Maggie shrugs, not looking too bothered by the potential flaw in her plan. “I can't find one. The book I found it in has really faded ink and looks like it dates back to the original Sins. It’s probably just been forgotten. From what I can see, any demon can use the spell, not just Sins, so the original Sins probably kept it secret from their nobles, and it died out as they were replaced via revolution.”

And Lucifer wouldn’t have told them, not one to put any more effort into the Sins than necessary. He was a very hands off leader once he created the Sins and all the changes to Hell that he thought of. 

“And so you’d be willing to test drive it for us?” They can set up a power flow to her, just a few humans, and then siphon all that power back over to Wrath. 

Maggie grimaces, not really the biggest fan of that. Even if everything thing looks perfectly set up, she’s never been one to volunteer to try out new magic. “If you require it, sure. Might as well try it.” If she can keep some of that power for herself, she might be able to get a little something out of it that’ll make up for being the guinea pig. 

“Good.” Jacob smiles at her, moving in to lean over the table getting closer to her. “Then we’ll start working on the spell tomorrow. Words and actions, or do you need supplies as well.”

She does not like that look on his face. Maggie wonders what she needs to do to get him on her good side. How does greed work in her favor in this situation? Greed for more power? “Words, actions, and power. So you’ll have to do it with me.” She pauses for a moment, looking for reactions on his face. It really is a handsome face. “On Earth.” 

On Earth? That would be the catch Jacob has to deal with. How the Hell is he supposed to convince Wrath to let him take a slave up to Earth? He takes a deep breath, trying to figure it out. He’ll tell him it’s to get more power, that the slave will be collared to limit her power, that Wrath will benefit in the end. 

Still not sure that’ll be enough. 

“And you, Johnny? What will it take for your spell to work?” Jacob needs to have a backup plan in case Maggie’s plan doesn’t work out. 

Johnny has his arms crossed and a sulk on his face, but he still answers the question. “No supplies necessary. Just will. Wrath has to break the traditional bonds between a Sin and the nobles, so he has to really want it for it to work.” 

Oh, Wrath really wants more power. Wrath knows, Jacob knows, most of Hell knows that that only reason Wrath is Wrath is because Greed and Envy picked him. 

“Very well. I’ll take your plans to Wrath for authorization. If he wants to see you, then I’ll be back for you.” Jacob stands up and waves a hand, activating the spells in the collars and bracelets all Wrath slaves wear. “Until then, back to your room.” 

Johnny looks like he wants to argue, hands reaching out for the books left on the table, but the magic proves stronger. Maggie just rolls with it because it’s not worth fighting. Sure, she has unauthorized research notes under one of the books, but she doesn’t want to draw attention to them, has to hope they go unnoticed. 

Jacob watches the slaves before gesturing for two guards to take them back to their room. He wants to see their notes, gauge for himself just how successful this magic might be before taking it to Wrath. Slaves don’t have much power, but when they’re in charge of research, they can do a lot of damage. 

Settling in, Jacob starts reading their notes. While scanning might be faster, he needs to know exactly what spells he might be using on Wrath. Johnny’s notes are well organized, succinct, and easy to read, exactly what he’d expect for a researcher. 

The spell looks like it’ll function, like it’ll do exactly what Johnny says it’ll do. Wrath will get power more directly from underlings, and it’ll take a lot of willpower to do it. No drawbacks, but not a huge increase in power either. Minimal risk, minimal gain. 

Maggie’s notes are a mess. Thoughts scribbled in the margins, topic changes on the same page, more stream of thought than intended for review. He works his way through them, checking ink age to figure out the order of the notes, and Jacob has to admit that she did find some powerful magic that will be very useful. 

As he cleans up the notes, Jacob notices a few pieces of paper under one of the books. Curious, he checks them only to find notes completely unrelated to what they were supposed to research. 

This is magic related to breaking bonds. 

If Maggie really thinks she can break the bonds keeping her here a slave, she’s delusional. No slave has ever broken the bonds. Some have been rescued before by others of their line coming in to pull them out, but none have escaped on their own. 

Then he notices ‘Greed’ and ‘Envy’ scattered through her notes. What is this about? Jacob settles in to really study these notes. Why does Maggie care about Sins binding other Sins? What is she looking for?


	57. Chapter 57

Deciding to take the bull by the horns, Jacob heads back to Wrath’s rooms, knocking to demand entrance. A slave tells him that Wrath is indisposed, so Jacob pushes past him and lets himself into the rooms. Wrath can’t afford to kill him without asking why first, so Jacob decides to take the risk. 

“The fuck?” Paimon flings out his arm, throwing the intruder to the side and pinning it to the wall. He looks over to see Jacob staring at him, eyes wide and accusatory, not scared. “What part of indisposed did you not understand?”

“We need to talk, and I have info from the researchers.” Jacob holds up some papers in his hands, and Paimon lets him go. He needs to know how to keep unwanted guests out better, but this might be worth his time. 

“What have they found?” Paimon plops down on a low cushion, not standing on ceremony with Jacob because there’s no point. He already knows one of his biggest problems, not enough power, so there’s no point in hiding things. 

“There are two options for increasing your power.” Jacob sets the papers on the table and crosses his arms. “But that’s not what I’m talking about at the moment.” He glares at Paimon, arrogant enough that Paimon considers smiting him for a moment. “How long were you going to hide the fact that Greed and Envy have a bind on you?”

Fuck! Paimon jumps up to start pacing, unable to stay still now that his biggest secret is out. “How the fuck did you find out?”

“The Greed demon was doing research into breaking a bond one demon holds over another,” Jacob explains, grabbing a few specific pages, “and I figured it wasn’t the slave bonds when she was writing about Greed and Envy.”

“That was the only way to get power.” Paimon explains how he was chosen, the plan Greed and Envy put together to get rid of Abbadon. “If I could get rid of them, I would, but I haven’t figured out how yet. You’re telling me the Greed demon has?”

“Not yet. She’s close but hasn’t figured it out yet. Given how she hid her notes, I think she’s doing this in secret, trying to have something to use in negotiations.” Jacob shrugs a little. “I put a stasis spell on the papers, figure I’ll put them back later, let her keep working for us even if she doesn’t know it. Then we’ll take the research when she presents it.” 

“And if she doesn’t give it to us?” Wrath keeps pacing the room, and Jacob stops trying to keep him in sight. As long as he can hear him, that’s enough. “What will you do then?”

Jacob doesn’t want to use it, but it’s the only suggestion that makes sense. “Then we convert her. We turn her into a Wrath demon, put her under your direct power. She can sit in the corner somewhere and just feed you power.”

It’s a brutal process, or so he’s been told. While all demons are inherently the same, their Sin becomes an integral part of them from creation. It’s possible to remove that part of them and replace it with another Sin’s power and influence, but it isn’t easy. 

Wrath looks at him with a bit of surprise. “You really think that’s a good idea? She’ll be pissed, and while I might be Wrath, I don’t need anymore of my demons pissed off at me.”

“But if she’s chained up in a back room, the more pissed off she is, the more power she generates for you. Not that bad when you consider she wasn’t doing anything for you before conversion.” Jacob sees his points but still thinks it’ll be worth it. 

“Fine. We’ll keep that in mind. Now, what about finding me more power. I’m going to need that if we’re taking on Sloth.” Wrath drops back down on the footstool. “Well?”

“One is easier, but I don’t think it’s as good of an idea. One found a way to break the tie between the lower nobles and upper so the power from the lower nobles goes to you directly.” Jacob shrugs. It’ll work, but at the same time…

“I do _not_ need pissed off nobles coming after me because I’m reducing their power,” Wrath reminds him. “We’re going after Sloth, so I can’t look weak to them or weaken their power.”

“Which is why the second option is probably better, although we’ll have to test it first. You anchor a spell to a person or a building, on Earth, and it gives you power directly. Plus, she found a way to amplify the amount of power you can get from a human.” That’s the truly impressive part. Humans funnel power to Hell every time they Sin, but it’s negligible. 

“That sounds too good to be true.” Wrath stretches out, back to being comfortable around Jacob. “If this was possible, every Sin would do it. Lust would spell the brothels, Envy would spell the stock markets, Pride would spell surgeons.”

“Perhaps,” Jacob agrees because that’s exactly what the Sins would do, “but her sources appeared to be old magic, possibly dating back to the original Sins. If they didn’t tell the demons who came after them about the spell, then it could easily fade into obscurity.” 

“Until a Sin became so weak he’d do anything for power.” Paimon wants to see some of those sources for himself, and he wants to try it out on someone else first. “Put the spells on the Greed demon. Let her soak up wrath power, make sure that it works. She won’t be able to use the power as efficiently, but it may help with an eventual transition, if necessary.” 

“Understood. I’ll have to take her and perhaps the other slave up to the surface with me. We’ll take two guards, just in case, and the charms restricting their magic will be as strong as possible.” Jacob is not going to be the one stupid enough to lose two slaves on Earth, not ones they need as guinea pigs. 

“When will you go up?” Paimon stands and heads for his desk, grabbing some of the reports his nobles have already submitted for review before attacking Sloth. He needs to find a balance between delaying them enough to get more power without delaying so long they get mad. 

“As soon as possible, likely tomorrow. It won’t be that hard to get a few guards who are free, and we need to check this for you immediately.” As someone who used to plan campaigns, Jacob understands the value of planning. 

“Good. If you have any issues getting up to the surface, send them to me.” Paimon will get his additional power no matter what. A few guards with sticks up their asses will not get in his way. 

Jacob nods, leaving Paimon alone in his rooms. He really hopes that this is it, that he’ll be able to get the power he needs to finally take his place in Hell. He has spies among the other Sins, know how they talk about him. A wannabe, a weakling, a pretender. They don’t think he has what it takes to rule, and the loss to the angels doesn’t help. 

Sure, it’s been a rocky start, but he’s slowly learning how to manage all of the nobles, how to keep them in line. Leading them in battle won’t be too hard, he already knows how to do that. But getting the power, the prestige, isn’t that easy, and that’s the problem.

If Jacob can get these two spells to work, he should be set. He agrees, it’s not a good idea to take power from his nobles, but there are still some who don’t like him, and he wouldn’t mind taking power from them. Simple enough punishment that gives him more power. Win win situation. 

And if the Greed demon can find a spell to free him from Greed and Envy? He’ll be set. 

The first step is for Jacob to get the research slaves up to Earth. He hasn’t been up himself in centuries, so he heads to the guards station with dual purposes. Not only does he need two guards and collars to restrict the slaves’ magic, he needs advice. 

Luna looks up from the maps to see Jacob lingering in the doorway. It’s been decades, and sometimes she wonders why they stopped. It’s not like there weren’t any opportunities. “What can I do for you?”

“I need advice. How recently have you been to Earth?” He takes a seat at the table, glancing at the maps but not really studying them. 

She sits back and tries to remember. “About ten years. Not too long, honestly. You going up there?” He is not the biggest fan of humans, so to hear him going to Earth willingly is a little odd. Must be work. 

“Yeah, I’m working on a project for Wrath, and I need humans for it.” He sighs, shaking his head. “I don’t know what to wear, best country to go to, how to act. We shouldn’t be up there too long, and we can probably stay hidden the whole time, but just in case, I need to know.”

“You alright with shared memories?” That’ll be the easiest way to do it, just give him her memories of Earth instead of explaining it all. Faster and more thorough. 

Jacob nods and braces himself for the incoming memories. It’s never a pleasant process, but he’ll survive. He’s done it before, he can do it again. Pressure builds against his skull focused where Luna’s finger rests between his eyes, and then there’s a pop and a rush of recollection that isn’t his. 

When he gets to the sex, Jacob raises an eyebrow at her, and Luna just smirks. “What? Just because they’re human doesn’t mean they don’t know how to fuck.” 

True, but he prefers demons. They have a little more staying power and can take it rougher. “To each their own.” Before he reached the sex, Jacob saw enough to know the memories will be useful. “And thanks. I’ll need those.” 

“What exactly are you doing up on Earth anyway?” Luna asks, moving around the table to sit next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She kinda misses him. 

“Work for Wrath, and I can’t talk about it. But I do need two guards to go with me to guard two slaves as well. These guards should be talented, obviously, but I need to be able to wipe their memories once I’m done.” No one can know about how desperate Wrath is for more power in his own territory.

Luna raises an eyebrow, surprised by the request. Guarding slaves and then wiping the memories of the guards? Those are two very rare requests, but she can oblige. That’s her job. “Male or female guards, or does it not matter?”

“Doesn’t matter, although the sexless the better. One slave is female, and I don’t need a guard losing his head over her.” Unfortunately, any guard whose mind they’ll let him wipe won’t be the most disciplined guard. 

“We’ve got eunuchs.” Jacob shifts enough to look down at her, getting a little shrug in response. “Abaddon got pissed at some of the guards letting their eyes linger too long, so she took away their reason to want to look at her.”

Yeah, that sounds like Abbadon. She had a Hell of a temper, even more than you might expect for the Head of Wrath. Paimon’s practically cheerful all the time compared to Abaddon. “I’ll take two of those.”

“I’ll send them over to the slave quarters along with the heavy duty collars and bracelets to keep the slaves under control while on Earth.” Luna stands up again, already planning who to send with Jacob. “Three hours fast enough for you?”

“Three hours will be perfect. Of course, it’ll be even better if you’re around when I bring them back.” He can’t afford to take pleasure in pillow talk, but that doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate the relief that comes from a good fucking. 

Luna smirks at him while making sure to shake her ass as she walks away. “Gotta earn it. Good luck up there.” 

Jacob grins back because this is the Luna that drew him in last time. “Luck? I don’t need luck. I’ve got a plan.” He walks out, saluting her as he head to the slave quarters. Luna’s laughter ringing in his ears. 


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to get this up earlier in the week, but I found some really cool modular origami stuff, so I lost track of time. My current project has 1056 pieces, so learning to balance my hobbies is going to take a moment. My bad!

Sam wakes up slowly, warmer and far more comfortable than usual. He takes a breath, and smells Gabe which tells him exactly why he feels so good. Then all the memories come back, the kissing and the rubbing, and he blushes. 

He can’t believe he did that, that he was so shameless. Part of him knows that there’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s also so different from what he’s used to. Sam also remembers that while he felt amazing last night, Gabe didn’t get the same pleasure. 

Wiggling around, Sam gets free of Gabe’s arms and pulls the sheets down enough that he can see the angel’s face. He looks so peaceful in sleep but also less animated, the lack of smile making him look strange. 

Sam shifts on the bed a bit, bumping into Gabe under the sheets when he feels something. He felt the same thing last night when worked toward his… orgasm. It feels weird, that word, not something he thought about much before. Now though? Now Sam has a feeling he wants to think about it a lot more. 

And he wants it for Gabe too. Maybe Gabe took care of himself last night, but he’s hard again. Sam looks at it, a funny feeling curling up in his belly. It looks so long and thick, but he doesn’t have a frame of reference to know if it’s bigger than average or just looks big because he’s only seen his own before. 

He reaches out, wants to touch it, see if it’s as soft as his, but then Sam stops. Gabe isn’t awake, and Sam shouldn’t touch him without permission. Oddly disappointed, he puts his hand down on his thigh just before another hand covers his. 

His eyes dart up to meet Gabe’s because apparently the angel is awake. Sam drops his eyes immediately, blushing again. The hand on his soothes him. “Don’t be embarrassed. I don’t mind if you look.”

“But I want to touch,” Sam blurts out, clapping his free hand over his mouth like he can push the words back in. Too late for that now. 

Gabe chuckles and sits up, pulling Sam in for a hug. “Then you can touch. Remember, anything you want as long as it’s in private.” He takes a deep breath, hand soothing up and down Sam’s back. “I want you to. I want you to do everything you want because I bet I want to do it too. I want everything you want Sam, so go for it.” 

As Gabe says that, Sam remembers the fact that Gabe’s been courting him, that he wants him too. They’re mates, he knows that, but Sam’s pretty sure that it’s more than that. Even if they weren’t mates, he gets the feeling Gabe would still be here, would still be helping Sam with the shelter, would be in Sam’s bed. 

The Archangel Gabriel likes Greed’s son Samuel, so Sam might as well get used to it. 

“Can I touch it?” Sam asks, still not comfortable enough to raise his eyes, words mumbled by Gabe’s shoulder. “Can I touch you?” That sounds better. 

Gabe kisses him on the side of his head then leans back on his elbows which displays his body to Sam’s eyes. He takes a moment to appreciate the view, the muscles under the pale skin that are just enough without being excessive. “Are these natural or do you enhance them?” He starts tracing Gabe’s thighs and knees, wanting to go higher but not quite ready yet. “They look good like this.”

Laughter makes his abs contract in a way that makes Sam’s stomach curl again. “They’re natural, from fighting in Hell and working in the shelter. Magic helps too, burning off a lot of fat since it takes so much energy.” 

“Which is why you eat so much.” Sam put together a bracelet with a charm for Gabe that dampens his power, but it feeds off Gabe’s energy every day. He eats more than twice as much as the other angels do. “I keep forgetting about the bracelet’s charm. Is it too much for you?”

“No, it’s not too much.” Sam feels Gabe’s muscles twitching under the skin, more interesting than the conversation even if he did start it. 

“Good.” He keeps playing on Gabe’s thighs as his gaze drifts a little higher. 

Why is this so intimidating? It’s a body part, one he’s seen before, one he felt last night, but Sam’s really having issues focusing on Gabe’s groin right now. Maybe the stated intention of doing something makes it different. 

“You don’t have to.” The soft words draw his gaze even higher to Gabe’s face and the soft smile on his lips. “Don’t push yourself if you’re not ready. It’s fine. There are spells that make it go away, and time can take care of it too.” 

Well, Sam knows that time can take care of it, he also knows that a hand will feel a lot better. “I want to, but I’m nervous.” He bites his lip while trying to figure out just how honest to be. “What if I don’t do it right?”

Gabe laughs, a loud burst of sound, and Sam stares at him. “You literally can’t do this wrong, Sam, I promise. If you’re touching me, it’ll be all too right. If anything, it’ll be too good.” 

Sam’s not sure that that’s all that much better, guaranteed success instead of success because of skill, but he’ll take it. This is a relationship, something personal, not a test, not something he’s learning. 

“Okay.” Remembering what works best for him, he starts by creating a small pool of water in his palm and turning it into lube. Then he reaches out and wraps his hand around Gabe, lets the weight settle into his palm. 

Gabe hisses out a breath, head falling back in a way that prevents Sam from being able to read his face. So he tries to use Gabe’s body language to guide him. He starts simple, just pumping his hand up and down Gabe’s length, nothing too fancy, not too much pressure. Gabe never softens, doesn’t tell him to stop which boosts his confidence a little. 

Sam moves his hand differently this time on the way up, rubbing his thumb over Gabe’s foreskin, pulling it back to reveal the head. Gabe hisses again, hips jerking, so Sam does it again and bites his lips while watching Gabe’s hips continue to jerk. 

He wants to keep doing anything that drives Gabe crazy, but he doesn’t want to remove his grip on Gabe either. So Sam starts using two hands, one moving up and down Gabe’s dick while the other plays with just the head. 

“Fuck, Sam, keep doing that, please.” Gabe reaches out and grabs Sam’s wrist, holding onto him as Sam keeps pleasuring him. Sam does what he says, eyes locked on the way the head of his dick appears and disappears as he moves his hands, liquid beading at the tip before spilling over. It adds to the mess of lube on his hands, keeping everything slick. 

“Just a little more, Sam.” Gabe’s hips move around enough now to contribute to Sam’s actions. Between the two of them, it’s not long before the sensations take over, and Gabe is cumming all over his abs and Sam’s hands. 

Sam watches, the process a Hell of a lot more interesting when it’s not his body doing that. He watches Gabe’s face too, and he looks amazing like that, pleasure running through him, and Sam knows he has to see that look on his face again. 

“Fuck.” Gabe collapses back on the bed, tossing an arm over his eyes as his body starts to relax. Now that it’s over, Sam isn’t quite sure what to do, so he mutters a quick spell to clean his hands and Gabe’s body. Then he hesitates because there’s nothing else to do. 

A hand wraps around his upper arm, and Gabe pulls him to lie down next to him. “That was perfect.” Gabe rolls onto his side and kisses Sam’s cheek. “Thank you.” 

Sam rolls his shoulders, the words making him uncomfortable. “I didn’t do that for you to thank me.”

Gabe sighs and moves them around so that their eyes meet. “That’s not what I meant.” He sighs with a frown on his face like he’s struggling for words. “It’s more like thank you for trusting me to do this with you. Thank you for being open with me. It’s not about the physical but what it means emotionally.”

Oh. That makes Sam feel better, and he shifts to put an arm around Gabe’s waist. “Well, then I want to say thank you for being patient with me. For letting me do things at my pace.” Gabe could easily push him, say they have to do more because they’re mates. But that wouldn’t be him, so Sam shouldn’t expect anything other than patience and caring from Gabe because that’s who he is. 

“Of course” Gabe kisses the top of his head again. “Although I’m serious when I say thank you for the clean up. Stickiness is not fun, nor is it when it dries.” 

Sam wrinkles his nose. He fell asleep once after taking care of himself, and it was not a pleasant feeling when he woke up. “Definitely not.” 

They lie there in silence for a while, just taking time to be together. It’s the weekend, so there isn’t much for them to do. Kitchen is open to everyone on the weekend to cook as they please, no classes, no training. They can’t spend all day in bed, but they can spend the morning there. 

“What do you want to do today?” Gabe finally asks, breaking the silence. “We could head out and do something in town or we could just hang out here.”

Part of Sam wants to do more together in bed. Now that he’s started this with Gabe, he’s interested in everything else they can do together. But he has the shelter, and it’d be irresponsible, so that’s not going to happen. “Maybe we could just walk around a bit?” He doesn’t get out much except when they’re patrolling, so a calm walk would be fun. 

“Sure. Maybe we can duck into some of the specialty grocery stores, see if we can find something new for dinners.” Sam nods, liking the idea. Most of the residents prefer a rather set and routine menu made up of their favorite comfort foods, but sometimes something new is good too. 

“And maybe we can find something fun for Paloma and the staff.” Sam sits up, excitement at the idea of going out starting to get to him. “Yeah, they get paid, but sometimes I think they deserve a little more. They could have easily said no to us.”

Gabriel smiles as they get out of bed and start dressing for the day. No, they couldn’t have said no to Sam. Anyone who even remotely thinks that helping humans and this shelter are a good idea would be helpless to say no to the eagerness and earnestness on Sam’s face when he talks about his plans. 

“Perhaps they could have,” he admits while buttoning his pants, “but they didn’t. And I’m glad they didn’t so yes, they deserve a thanks above just getting paid since they need to get paid.” 

Sam hugs him from behind before heading for the door. “I want to make pancakes for breakfast. What do you want in them?”

Blueberries or chocolate are his favorites, but they’re not so good mixed together. “I think chocolate, a nice finishing touch to an amazing morning.” Gabriel grins, smile growing when he sees the blush on Sam’s cheeks again. He really hopes that no matter what they get up to, Sam never loses that blush, that innocence. 

“Chocolate it is.” Sam opens the door before holding out his hand, and Gabriel takes it, heart fluttering at the chance to have an open declaration of affection with his mate. 

Today is going to be a good day. 


	59. Chapter 59

Gabriel watches Sam as they eat breakfast doing his best to stare without being caught. Victoria winks at him the one time their eyes meet, so he’s pretty sure he’s not succeeding. Sam doesn’t catch him, so at least there’s that. 

After breakfast, he’s at a bit of a loss. When he walks through the city, he always has a purpose. There are supplies to buy or paths to follow to check for threats. It’s never just a lark about town. It was different in Heaven, mostly just coming down to get things he can’t get in Heaven, but not the situation here. 

“You done?” Sam’s voice draws him out of his thoughts, and Gabriel smiles up at him. 

“Yeah, just let me take my dishes to the kitchen.” Gabriel takes Sam’s dishes as well since he was already heading that way. 

They meet in the front hall, Sam waving goodbye to Enoch after a quick discussion. “Everything alright there?”

Sam nods, taking Gabriel’s hand which makes him smile. “Yeah, he just wanted to check that it’s okay for him to start working with Silas when planning things. I let him know that they should go ahead, that we should use the humans’ experience and expertise when making plans. This is for them after all, not for us.” 

Gabriel’s interested to see what Silas comes up, what he thinks is most important to focus on. “At least we set things up so that we can bend and change as things come up.” That’s Sam’s influence, the ability to relax rather than being so structured the way most angelic plans tend to be. The benefits of youth. 

“I just hope he sticks around. If he leaves because he feels like we aren’t giving him what he needs than I’m going to feel like we failed.” Sam winces while talking, and Gabriel can see how much he fears failure. 

“We can’t help everyone, remember? All we can do is out best to offer as many services as possible to help as many people as possible.” Gabriel wants to make Sam understand this sooner rather than later so it doesn’t hurt as much later. “Working with Silas is wonderful, but there will be someone for whom that isn’t enough, and you can’t take it personally.”

Sam sighs, shaking his head. “I know that, logically, but in my heart, that’s not how it feels. It feels like if I’ve failed one person, I’ve failed in general because the goal is to help everyone.”

Gabriel uses his grip on Sam’s hand to pull him into an alley and out of the walking path. He cups Sam’s face in his hands, making sure their eyes meet. “You’ve come up with a great plan, and you’ve already helped several people. As long as the shelter stays open and people come in, you’ve succeeded.”

There’s a pause, and then Sam nods, eyes suspiciously shiny. He wiggles closer to hug Gabriel, head resting on his shoulder. “Thanks. It helps, hearing it.” 

They stay wrapped around each other for a moment before Sam takes a step back with a suspicious sniff. “Well, we’re out here to enjoy ourselves, so let’s keep going.” He holds out his hand, and Gabriel takes it with a soft smile. 

To start, they walk around the neighborhood, meandering rather than walking with a purpose. Sam gives little comments here and there about the people they see on the streets. Women out running errands, some shifty looking men and teens of both genders, little kids playing in the streets. Good thing there aren’t too many cars around here. 

“Why don’t humans help each other more?” Sam tosses a few coins in the cup of a beggar sitting on the street corner. “Is it really so hard for them?”

Ah, the innocence of youth. “Yes, there are plenty of resources for that, but humans don’t share quite as well as angels do. Part of that is humanity, part of that is a lack of resources.”

“You just said that there’s enough resources.”

“There are enough resources, yes, but there aren’t enough resources to take care of everyone while also having lots of rich people,” Gabriel clarifies, comparing Earth to Heaven. Magic makes a serious difference. 

Sam huffs but doesn’t argue. “Heaven seems pretty perfect in terms of taking care of people. Hell requires you to scrape and fight for every little bit. And Earth is a mix between the two. Guess that makes sense, if you look at it that way.” 

Yes, that makes sense, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’d be nice if humans helped each other a little more. 

“What’s that?” Sam pulls on Gabriel’s hand and points at a shop once he has his attention. “Voodoo? It looks like it’s supposed to be magic related, but it doesn’t sound familiar to me.”

Gabriel checks for cars then leads Sam across the street. They’d survive getting hit, but that doesn’t mean he wants to get hit. “Voodoo is a human magic that’s generally seen as a darker magic, I think. I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know much.”

Sam’s head bobs and weaves as he looks at and through various things in the window. “Do you think it’s compatible with angelic magic? Something I could do? Or is it too human for that?” 

“I have no idea.” Gabriel stretches out his senses to check the people in the shop and doesn’t sense any magic in them. “Why don’t we go in? That’s the point of today, isn’t it, just doing what we want?” The shop’s a little dark for his tastes, but he’ll give it a shot for Sam. 

A little bell tinkles as they push the door open, and Sam drops Gabriel’s hand to start walking through the shop. Gabriel gets stuck on the mini skulls staring at him from behind the counter. He’s pretty sure voodoo isn’t his type of thing. 

“Good afternoon.” The woman comes out from behind the counter to give him a little bow. “Can I help you find something?”

“Just browsing,” Gabriel tells her with a tight smile, something in the shop putting him on edge. 

She bows her head at him, not saying anything else, fading back into the shadows around the shelves at the back. He watches her, eyes sharpening to follow her movements. No, Gabriel does not like voodoo or its people. 

“Gabe?” He turns to see Sam waving him over. “Come look at this.” 

Gabriel’s not sure he wants to see whatever it is, but he follows Sam anyway. “What did you find?”

“Charms and amulets.” Sam gestures to a shelf of items with marks and a sense of energy Gabriel doesn’t recognize. At least this corner of the shop feels a little lighter than the rest of the place. “Do you think there’s any benefit to adding them to the shelter?”

Moving closer, Gabriel puts out his hand to read all of the charms and amulets. All of them radiate energy but some more than others. “I think so, but we might want to ask first, just to make sure.” Although there really isn’t that much energy in any of them. If they make their own, perhaps they’ll have more power since the beings making them will have more power. 

“Those are designed for individual protection.” Both men turn to find the woman who was behind the counter now behind them. “If you want to protect something larger, there are others that would work better, some I can show you.”

Sam raises his eyebrow at her, the very picture of confidence although Gabriel can see the nerves in his eyes. “Perhaps. Who makes your charms?”

“I do.” She gives him a little bow, all politeness. “The practice and rituals have been passed down through my family mother to daughter for generations.”

Rituals. Gabriel takes another look around the shop which is when it starts to make sense. Even if the person doing the ‘magic’ has no inherent magic, intention while using inherently magical ingredients can generate magic. That’s what voodoo is, intention with magical items to create weakly magical outcomes. 

Sam nods as he follows her explanation. “I appreciate the offer, but I think we’ll start with just two of the small ones you’ve already made.” 

The woman tries to sell them the idea of specialized larger ones, but she backs down fairly quickly when Sam raises an eyebrow and just looks at her. Impressive for an eighteen year old. After purchasing, Gabriel takes Sam’s hand again as they head down the street.

He waits a moment so they can get away from the shop before talking again. “So, are you really interested in voodoo and her charms, or were you trying to get out of there with the least amount of fuss?”

“A little of both,” Sam admits with a little shrug. “I’m always interested in new magic, but there was something about that shop that felt off. I want to see what Paloma says about the charms. If she says no, we won’t use them.”

A good place to start. They did agree to only buy magical items from Paloma, so this is a little off, but she doesn’t offer voodoo. 

“And I think I found our next stop.” Gabriel points up ahead at another shop, this one with lights on the front that looks a lot more appealing than the voodoo shop. “Let’s check that one out.” 

“Alright.” Sam dashes ahead with a little giggle. “Catch me if you can!” 

Gabriel sets off after him with a laugh of his own, but Sam beats him there. He wants to scoop Sam up, definitely able to do so even if Sam’s taller than him, but the aisles are too tight for that. “You win this time.” He’ll get him later.

Sam winks at him like he knows Gabriel’s planning something but doesn’t say anything. They move up and down the aisles without saying anything until Sam points at a jar of something white. “What is that?” 

They look at the white food trying to read the Portuguese on the label. Perhaps he should have learned the language before starting to live here. “I have no idea.” Checking around to make sure no one can see, he casts a quick spell to help with translations. “Preserved hearts of palm. I still have no idea what that is.” 

“Then I think we have a winner. Something that we don’t know how to use. We’ll have Paloma come over and help us cook.” Sam grabs a jar off the shelf to study it up close. 

“Maybe Nathan can help her." Sam looks over with a raised eyebrow. "What?” He tries out an innocent look, but the look on Sam’s face says that he failed. “He’s been at the shelter for two years, and he basically stays quiet and sits in a corner unless Paloma’s over. And she perks up every time he actually manages to talk to her. Maybe this time he’ll do more than just talk.” 

Sam shrugs again while heading for the counter. “I’m not so sure that he’ll be that brave. Ever since we finished building, he’s kind of shrunk back, like he doesn’t know what to do with himself.” He pays the cashier, waiting until they’re back outside to finish the conversation. “I wish we could help him more since he helped us so much.” 

“I agree, but there’s no forcing him.” If it wasn’t for Nathan, the shelter probably would have fallen down around their ears unless they used a lot of magic. None of the angels really knew how to construct something, and Gabriel wishes he could help Nathan as much as he helped the angels.

“No, there isn’t.” Sam smiles but there’s something hollow about the look. Gabriel raises an eyebrow to ask what’s wrong without saying anything. He rolls his shoulders and points at his eyes, indicating that he feels eyes on him. 

“Well, we can only try.” Gabriel works to continue the conversation while casting out for a sense that someone’s watching him. It’s subtle, but now that Sam’s mentioned it, he can feel it. Problem is, he can’t trace it. 

“Definitely.” They manage to keep up a basic conversation as they make their way back to the shelter as quickly as they can. Once past the door, Enoch and Miri appear right next to them. “Scan the roads outside. We had eyes on us.” 

The angels nod while moving to check the wards. There’s a difference between someone seeing them and maybe watching for a moment and keeping eyes on them long enough for Sam to notice. 

“Wards aren’t picking up anything, Gabriel,” Enoch announces, glancing back at him and Sam. “Any idea what was looking at you?”

“No idea,” Sam admits with a grimace. “There were eyes on me, and for some reason, it didn’t feel human. Other than that, no idea. It wasn’t there long enough, and I don’t think they made it all the way back to the shelter with us.” 

“We’ll keep an eye out,” Miri assures them, “and we’ll update the others so everyone’s keeping an eye out.” 

“Thanks.” Gabriel hopes it’s nothing, but at least they’ll be prepared if it’s not. He’s not going to let someone ruin this for Sam, not at all. 


	60. Chapter 60

Jacob watches the couple walk away trying to figure out if he saw something or if he just thinks he saw something. They’re up here to test out Maggie’s research, but that can wait for a moment. “Follow me.” 

“Follow you where?” Maggie asks even as she falls into step alongside him. Johnny takes longer to react but manages to follow while muttering under his breath. “What did you see?”

“Just follow me and stay quiet.” Jacob moves through the streets behind the couple, allowing a little more space to make sure he’s not caught. Eventually they reach a warehouse that stinks of magic. Human, demonic, and angelic magic all intermingled. 

“What the Hell?” Maggie stays behind Jacob to avoid a lecture and reaches out with her limited senses. The charms she had to put on before leaving Hell are seriously restrictive. “Is that a gorgon’s head over the door?”

“Gorgons used to mark shelters in ancient Greek times,” Johnny announces with a little sniff like she should have known that. “Athena was forced to punish Medusa as she couldn’t stand up to the other gods, so she turned her into a gorgon. Yes, it made her ugly, but it also gave her the ability to protect herself from men in the future.” 

Huh. Maggie hadn’t heard that story before, a logical explanation for why gorgons marked shelters. “So are we dealing with a bunch of ancient Greek monsters trying to live in the human world?”

“Too much angelic magic here,” Jacob tells her while shaking his head. “Whatever’s in there, angels are involved. And although the magical signature didn’t fit, I’d bet good money that one of the people I saw was the Archangel Gabriel.”

Huh. An archangel? One related to the seraph who just happens to be mated to Greed’s son. “Which means the other one was one of Greed’s kids. What the Hell is he doing on Earth?”

Jacob shudders as angelic magic washes over them and turns to push the other two away from the building. “Based on the location and the gorgon over the door, I’d say he’s helping humans, likely ones rescued from Hell.”

Maggie stops even with Jacob still pushing on her back. “A demon, the son of a Sin, is helping humans? How the fuck does that happen?”

Johnny sighs again like she’s such an idiot. “Just because we’re demons doesn’t mean we have to do nasty things. The younger son was taken away from Hell when he was under the age of five and raised by angels. While he might be more vulnerable to temptation, nurture can be a lot stronger than nature.” 

Jacob looks back over his shoulder in the general direction of the shelter. That might come in handy in the future. Humans who have been to Hell are always easier to use for energy and if more slaves are needed... “We’ll leave it be for the moment. Let’s head to the prison.”

“The prison?” Johnny looks confused even as he follows behind Jacob, and Maggie grins because this time she knows the answer. 

“Yeah. It’s a great place to find plenty of really pissed off people. Innocent people who are pissed they’re somewhere they shouldn’t be, guilty people pissed they got caught.” She shrugs, enjoying the irritation on Johnny’s face. “Prison’s a great place to find plenty of really angry people.”

“So we’re going to anchor the spell on the prison, use them to funnel power to Wrath?” Johnny can see the point in the magic, it’s really fucking smart, but he should have come up with it. He does not want some dumb Greed demon making herself more valuable than him. He does not want to end up in the pens again. 

“Exactly.” Jacob wants to get as much power to Wrath as soon as possible. If they’re going to attack Sloth, Wrath needs as much power as he can get. “We should get this up and running today.”

“It’s simple enough to do, just have to say the words with the proper hand gestures at the right times.” Maggie shrugs even though she really doesn’t like the idea of being a guinea pig. She’ll do it, but she doesn’t like it. Unless it gives her enough power to break free of Wrath. Then it would totally be worth it.

They drive to the prison giving their bodies time to absorb some of the humanity around them. If they’re slightly adjusted to Earth, the spell will work better. Johnny understands that, but he doesn’t appreciate being relegated to the back seat. He’s better than that. Stupid slut spreading her legs to be in the front seat. 

When they arrive, he gets out of the car first to start drawing the marks they need on the building. He’s going to show Jacob that he’s the better demon and that he should get the power sent to him. 

Maggie watches him draw, the diligent little researcher, and pulls Jacob aside. “What’s the catch?”

He looks at her, face blank. “What do you mean?”

“Why the Hell would you willingly give me more power? I’m a slave. That makes no sense.” She crosses her arms and waits for an answer. 

“Because you’ll still be wearing those bracelets. We can monitor your power levels regardless of what you have access to.” He shrugs with a little smirk. “It’ll tell us exactly how much power you get from the prison without giving you access to any of it.”

Fuck them. At least it makes her important to them and less likely to kill her off. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” She walks over to check on Johnny’s work, impeccable as should be expected. He wouldn’t let himself slip just to hurt her. He’s too proud. 

“I’ll be ready in a moment.” His tongue sticks out as he finishes the last mark and stands up. “We’re good to go. Maggie just has to put her hand in the middle of it all and say the words.” 

She looks at Jacob and tries to push just a little. “It’s more likely to work successfully if you remove the bracelet before I start.”

He snorts and gestures at the building. “Nice try.” He checks the illusions cast around them to keep them hidden from the human guards patrolling the walls. They don’t look like they give a shit, but still better safe than sorry. “Do it, now.”

Maggie nods and steps up, placing her hand flush against the wall. A few clearly enunciated words later, and she falls to her knees as a rush of power flows through her, more than she’s felt since her slavery began. 

Jacob watches her panting, checking to make sure it’s just panting, no magic, no chance of passing out. “Well?”

She takes another moment to gather herself before standing up. “There was an initial rush of power, but now?” She shrugs a little. “I can feel the power coming in, but I can’t do anything with it.” Now she really needs to find the answer to breaking the bonds between demons. She’ll do it in the name of helping Wrath, if she’s found out, but it’s going to help her too.

“So it worked? Did you ever get power from humans before?” Johnny wishes he had a pen and paper to keep track of all this information. 

“No, I haven’t. So I can tell you that I’m getting power, but I can’t say much about how much power,” Maggie admits, not looking at Jacob because maybe she could have admitted that before. Her lack of experience adds another step for them to check the magic. 

Johnny huffs. At least he’s received magic from humans before. “Well, there’s a simple spell we can add to the bracelet that will monitor the number of humans feeding you power and how much you actually get. Simple math can tell us how much you get per human.”

“Do it,” Jacob orders them. “Do we need to keep the symbols written on the wall and covered with an illusion, or do we wipe them?” He read their notes but he doesn’t remember all of the details. 

“We need to keep it up,” Maggie tells him, already tracing her fingers over the marks to make them sink into the walls rather than sitting on the surface. The concealing magic won’t fully interfere with the magic to funnel power to her, but hiding it will be better. “If we take it down, the magic won’t work.” 

Jacob watches her conceal the magic, impressed. Not many demons learn that magic since it’s not often their work needs concealing. “Fine. Let’s get back down below, make sure that the magic still holds when we’re not on Earth.”

“It’ll hold.” She might not be a brilliant researcher, but she did extra research when she learned the plan to use magic on her. Maggie knows exactly what will inhibit the magic, like removing the marks, and what won’t, like going back down to Hell. No point in bringing up the magic if Wrath had to live on Earth to receive the power.

“Then let’s prove it.” Jacob heads back to the car knowing that both slaves will follow him. They could head back to Hell directly from the prison, but it’ll be easier from the established portal they used to get to Earth. 

And he wants to see if he’ll catch sight of the couple or see the shelter again before they leave. 

\----------

The demon watches as Lust climbs the steps to his throne, legs spread to display his crotch to the whole room. Another two demons follow him up to sit at his feet, eyes fawning over him. The demon would be sick, but it doesn’t want to draw attention to itself. 

“Talk to me,” he orders the demons standing at the base of the throne. 

“Wrath appears to have abandoned his attempts to attack the angels. Not sure why he picked that portion of Hell yet; we’re still looking,” the first demon reports, eyes cast low enough that he probably can’t see anymore of Lust than his feet. 

“However, he does appear to have extended his reach to Earth for some reason.” The second demon flips through a few papers in his hand. “His nerdy minion was seen on Earth with two slaves, but no one seems to know why. They didn’t have heavy weaponry with them and didn’t cast traceable magic, so they were left alone.” 

Wrath was on Earth? The demon tries to come up with an explanation for that and stalls. What’s on Earth other than humans that don’t really generate enough power to be worth the time and effort? 

Then the demon remembers the library. There are a lot of very old texts in Wrath’s library, so perhaps he found a way to use the humans. Paimon wasn’t the strongest demon ever, hence Greed and Envy using him, but that doesn’t make him stupid. 

Lust’s demons continue reporting on Wrath’s actions, detailing what sounds like preparation for an attack on a Sin. They’re betting Sloth which the demon has to admit makes sense. He’s become complacent over the years and likely won’t have adequate defenses. 

Eventually Lust loses patience with them and waves them off. In their place, he beckons for the two demons sitting at his feet. They crawl up to him and start pleasuring him with their hands and mouths. As they do, power builds in the air. 

The demon ducks its head to hide the smile on its face. This is the only reason sitting so close to Lust all the time is even remotely tolerable. With everyone focused on their pleasure, it’s simple for the demon to siphon off power. 

And there's lots of power around Lust, so the demon can even store power outside of its body. The stones at the base of Lust’s throne are great for storing power, and since the demon is always chained here, the demon will always have access to power stored below Lust’s throne. 

Eventually, the demon will have enough power. Eventually the demon will get away from Lust and his shit. 

Eventually. 


	61. Chapter 61

Silas stands outside the door of the therapist’s office. They don’t normally refer to her as a therapist, calling her a healer or a counselor, but that’s what she is. A therapist, a shrink. He doesn’t want to talk to her, but Victoria’s been pushing him. 

“Just talk to her,” she said, fingers moving confidently over the yarn and needles. “You don’t have to listen to what she says back, but just getting your frustrations out can help. It’s not good to keep things bottled up.”

He likes Victoria, appreciates her support on things, so he decides to at least try talking to the woman. Silas raises his hand to knock, puts it down, raises it, lowers it, then raises it again to finally knock on the door. 

“Come in.” He opens the door to see the angel sitting behind her desk, typing on the computer. It’s odd, a woman with wings in a tunic working on a twenty first century piece of equipment. Of all the staff here at the shelter, she hides her angelic features the least, probably because she never leaves the shelter except to go to Heaven. 

“Hi.” He drops down in the chair across from her desk, ignoring the couch off to the left. Not ready for that yet. “Do you have time?”

Hodah sets her pen aside and focuses on the man across from her. Even without focusing on his aura, she can sense the discomfort radiating from the man. “I don’t have anything scheduled for this afternoon, so I have all the time you’d like.” 

The man shifts in his chair and refuses to meet her eyes. “Um, I don’t need much time, I don’t think. Victoria thinks I should talk to you.”

“I’m always willing to listen,” Hodah assures him while relaxing back in her chair, hoping he’ll mirror her. “You can talk about whatever you like.”

“The food’s good here.” It’s an odd place to start, but perhaps it was just the first thing that came to his mind. “Much better than I expected from a shelter.”

Well, she can talk about food easily enough. “Sam likes to cook, something he does with his brother, and he doesn’t like bad food. Besides, he really does want to help, and food can be very positive for your mood.”

“The comfort food dinners are nice.” Silas missed steak and potatoes, and they don’t hold back when getting ingredients. Cooked to perfection, just enough pink without being too raw. “The fancy dinners are a little weird, but still tasty.”

Hodah nods although she doesn’t fully understand it. “I personally don’t quite understand the appeal. I’ve existed on magic and Heavenly energy far too long to really need food and want to enjoy it.” Some of the oldest angels don’t need food, have mastered old magic to convert other things into energy to run their bodies. 

“You’re missing out,” Silas tells her while trying to figure out what to say next. He’s not really sure what’s bothering him enough to consider talking to the shrink, but he’s out of ideas. So they sit in silence for a moment, neither one saying anything. “Uh, maybe you could join us for dinner one night, see if perhaps eating with humans makes a difference.” 

She hasn’t considered that before, and it’s actually a pretty good idea. “I’ll consider that tonight. What’s on the menu?”

“Mac and cheese and Caesar salad. Oozy, gooey, melty cheese,” the man tells her, eyes going a little distant. “Definitely a good meal to start trying to enjoy food.”

Hodah nods, and silence falls again. She doesn’t want to push him into talking if he isn’t ready for it. 

“Uh, well, thanks for talking,” Silas tells her, standing up to leave once the silence becomes too awkward, “and for listening. Appreciate it.” 

“Of course. Would you like to come in and talk again at a later date?” Hodah pulls up her calendar on her computer. She doesn’t have too many appointments, but since the residents have very similar schedules, she still needs to make sure she doesn’t double up on appointments. 

Silas rubs his hands up and down his thighs, not sure if he wants to come back. “Next week, same time?” 

She types away on her computer. “I’ve got you scheduled in.” The shrink stands and holds out her hand for a shake. Silas takes it then walks out, barely avoiding the kid running the shelter. He heads down to the gym. He needs a workout, to sweat out his confusion and feelings. Just needs a little time. 

Hodah waits to hear her door close before going back to her notes from other sessions, but it takes too long. When she looks up to see what’s keeping the door open to see Sam holding it open, an odd look on his face. “Sam, what can I do for you?”

He doesn’t say anything as he closes the door and takes a seat on the sofa. She has the feeling he doesn’t want to meet her eyes. “You can see auras, can’t you?”

No point in lying about her skills. “Yes. I can see certain emotions and can sense changes in a person’s aura, but that doesn’t tell me the reason for the emotions or the changes.”

“So you can see when someone’s tainted, not quite pure anymore.” 

Frowning, Hodah turns off her computer since this won’t be a conversation to record. “Not exactly. I can see when someone has been hurt or abused in their aura. Generally it’s a dark shadow on the survivor’s aura, hence the terminology of ‘tainted.’ Personally, I don’t like that word as it often leads to a slight victim blaming, although I can understand the reasoning.” 

“Can people be tainted? Can demons even _be_ tainted?”

Well, now Hodah really wonders what happened to trigger this conversation. “Yes, people and demons can be tainted, but they generally cannot be tainted by the actions of others. The vast majority of tainting comes from the conscious actions of the individual.”

Sam looks over at Hodah but doesn’t linger, not really wanting to see the expression on her face. “So if someone let people do something inappropriate to them, the person wouldn’t be tainted?”

“Not exactly.” Hodah qualifies her previous statement with a little wobble of her hand. “Depending on the actions committed against the individual, there could be a mark left on the individual’s aura. However, talking about it, working through the atrocities, finding healing and acceptance could remove the marks on the individual’s aura.” 

“Would talking to you help remove those marks?” Sam rubs his hands together instead of on his thighs. 

“That depends on if it was just talking, or if you listen as well. As useful as talking is, you would probably have to listen as well to make progress. It can’t be just talk.” Hodah has dealt with patients who expect results without having to do too much work, as if just spending time in a therapist’s office will generate results. Those are some of her least favorite patients. 

Sam takes a deep breath. “Do you have time to talk?” He really doesn’t want to do this, but after what happened last night, he gets the feeling that he needs to. He doesn’t want to deal with a repeat. 

“I have no appointments this afternoon,” she tells him, shifting enough to make noise while Sam still doesn’t look at her. “Would you like to tell me what happened?”

“Gabe did something that pulled up bad memories.” She makes a sound, and Sam looks over at her in a hurry. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. He didn’t do anything wrong, just did something that would normally be okay but didn’t know wouldn’t be good for me.”

“I didn’t think he would do anything to harm you on purposed,” Hodah assures him, noting the panic in the boy’s eyes. “Gabriel is a good man, and everyone has seen how patient he has been with you. No one would suspect him of doing anything to hurt you.”

She stops, wondering if Sam will volunteer any information. Just what happened that was so bad Sam decided to come talk to her after more than two years of avoiding her office? As innocent as Sam is, Hodah doubts Gabriel would have introduced him to anything too kinky to start. 

“He ran his hand down my back, trailed it over my ass.” His voice is low, just barely breaking the quiet in the office. “He’s done similar things before, but this time…” Sam trails off shaking his head as his hands shake just as much. 

“This time it pulled up a memory that made you uncomfortable.” Hodah gets up to take the chair across from Sam in hopes that she might manage to catch his gaze. “Do you want to tell me the memory that it triggered?”

Sam shakes his head then pauses and starts to nod his head. “Maybe. I don’t know. Do you really think it’ll help?”

“I don’t think it will hurt.”

Well, that’s not as optimistic as Sam was hoping for, but at least she didn’t lie. “It reminded me of a demon touching me, when I was really young, before Dean got us out.”

Hodah has never been a warrior, did the bare minimum of service before she was eligible to serve Heaven as a healer instead. This though, this makes her wish that she had killed a few more demons. “Was this a demon you knew or a random demon?”

Sam doesn’t answer at first, and Hodah keeps her eyes on him, watching for signs of severe discomfort, enough to indicate she should end the conversation. “A random demon. I didn’t know any of them, at least I don’t think I did.”

“Were there many of them?”

“Enough that I didn’t bother to count. It was easier to just let it happen and try to think about something else. Anything else. Besides, I didn’t think we’d end up back in Hell if we ever left, so there was no reason to know who did what. I wouldn’t have a chance for revenge.”

“And now? Now that you can go back? There’s magic to help determine who hurt you. Would you try for revenge now?”

“I don’t think so. What’s the point? It won’t stop it from happening again, and it won’t undo what happened to me. It won’t change anything.”

“So what do you want to do? Why do you want to do something now?”

Sam sits back in the chair with a deep breath. “Because last night, Gabe and I were in bed just talking and touching. Nothing too sexual, just learning each other’s bodies. And that personal, perfect moment was ruined by memories. I don’t want my past to taint my time with Gabe ever again.”

“Did you tell him about the memory? Was your reaction severe enough that you had to?” Hodah sits back in chair as well, curious to see how open Sam is with Gabriel. The more open he is with his mate, the more likely he is to talk to her.

“I think he noticed, but he didn’t ask, so I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to make him feel bad,” Sam admits. “Should I have told him?”

“That’s between you and Gabriel, not something I can advise you on. What I can say is that communication is essential in a relationship. If you don’t tell him anything, there’s a chance he’ll assume he did something wrong instead of just triggering a memory. You don’t necessarily have to be overly specific, but telling him at least something might be beneficial.” Hodah doesn’t like relationship therapy, but she has enough training to advise her patients on their relationships.

“He already knows what happened, so maybe it won’t be too bad to tell him.” Sam tries to figure out how he feels about that. Not only does he worry about making Gabe feel bad, a small part of him wonders if enough bad memories and ruined moments will make Gabe leave him behind. 

Hodah doesn’t offer anymore advice, not wanting to repeat herself or give Sam too many things to think about. She sits and waits to see what Sam will say next. 

“I’ll figure it out later.” Sam stands up and smiles at her, a professional, impersonal smile. “Thank you for listening.”

“Of course.” Hodah stands as well, holding out a hand for a shake which Sam does. “And if you ever feel the need to talk again, I will be here.” Sam nods and heads out, and Hodah wonders if she’ll ever see him in her office again. For his sake, and perhaps Gabriel’s as well, she hopes she does. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's opinion, there's no shame in asking for help. If you need help, don't feel bad about asking for it. Do what you need to take care of yourself.


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Communication is key!

Gabriel had a shitty day, and he’s glad it’s almost over. He’s going to say goodnight to Sam then head to his own room to sleep. Last night was nice, spending time together and sleeping together, innocently, but something went wrong. 

He knocks on Sam’s closed door, an odd state for it, and waits to see if he’s in there. He waits long enough that he starts to think he won’t get an answer, but Sam eventually tells him to come in. 

Pushing open the door, Gabriel walks in to see Sam sitting cross legged on his bed. “I wanted to say goodnight before heading out.”

“Are you tired?” Sam asks, not looking up from the bedspread. “Do you really need to sleep right now?”

“I could stay up a little longer,” Gabriel says, moving closer to the chair but not sitting down yet. “Do you want to talk about something?”

“Have a seat.” Sam gestures but still doesn’t look up. 

Gabriel sits then waits. He doesn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing, so he’s going to let Sam talk first. He can be patient when he needs to be, especially when Sam’s involved. 

“I’m sorry about last night.” Sam swallows hard enough Gabriel can hear it across the room. “You didn’t do anything wrong, and I should have told you that.”

“It’s alright.” It stings a little, but it’s alright. “While I don’t really know what happened, I figure it was related to your past, not the present, or you would have spoken up immediately.” If he did something wrong, Sam wouldn’t have hesitated to put Gabriel in his place.

“It triggered a memory.” Sam looks up now, face disturbingly blank. “And I didn’t want to make you feel bad, so I didn’t say anything, but I think I should have said at least something.”

“Do you want to tell me the memory?” After one of their trips to Hell, Sam told him enough that Gabriel doubts the memory will be something too different than what he already knows. 

“It’s not too specific,” Sam tells him, face still blank. “Just a demon running his hand down my back and over my ass while I was standing as a statue. At least when I was a dinner tray, they couldn’t touch my ass.” 

Fuck. Gabriel can’t imagine being in a situation when he’s glad about the type of abuse he’s receiving. Sad as it is, he can see Sam’s point though, can see why one situation would feel better than the other. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Sam laughs, and Gabriel can’t imagine a less joyful sound. “That makes two of us. Thank the Father for Castiel and Dean’s inability to let things go. I don’t think I would have made it down there like that for too much longer.”

It takes a moment, and then it clicks, Gabriel jumping out of the chair when he realizes what Sam means. “No, don’t talk like that. I have to believe that someone would have gotten you out of there before that.” A life without his mate? Now that he knows that he has a mate, he can’t imagine not having one. 

“They wouldn’t have let me anyway. I was too valuable for them to use, a young demon rather than one illusioned to appear younger.” Sam rolls over on his side and curls up into a ball, pulling out of Gabe’s arms. He feels a lot more alone without his arms on him, but he’s not sure that he wants Gabe touching him right now. 

There’s a moment of hesitation then Gabe moves to sit on the bed next to him, hand resting on his arm. “Have you talked to Hodah? She might have some tips to help you work through things like that.”

Sam rolls over and wiggles into Gabe’s chest, glad when his arms wrap around him again. No matter how bad he feels about not saying things, at least Sam knows that he hasn’t ruined things between them. “I went to her office today. She’s the one who suggested that I should talk to you, at least tell you that you didn’t do anything wrong.” 

He can feel Gabe nodding above him even if he can’t see him. “I haven’t worked with her, but I’ve worked with others in her field. Needed someone to talk to after Lucifer left. It’s not always fun, and you’ll probably be crying and maybe mad, but it can be worth it.” 

“What am I supposed to get out of talking to her though?” Sam still doesn’t understand why he went to Hodah earlier today. “How does reliving it make things any better?”

“Maybe if you go through things with her, you can get rid of negative emotions connected to the memories,” Gabe offers. “You mentioned a few times that you feel like it was your fault, that you’re tainted because of what they chose to do to you. Maybe talking to her will help you believe that it’s not your fault, that you did nothing wrong.” 

That sounds nice, but Sam isn’t sure that he’d ever fully believe that, that he’s not at all in any way responsible for what happened. That he’s not at least a little tainted. “Would you go with me? If I needed someone to be there with me?”

Gabe sits up and cups Sam’s chin to turn his head so they’re looking at each other. “If you want me there, I’ll be there. If you want to go alone, then I’ll be waiting to walk back to your room with you. And if you want me to leave or come in during the middle of a session, then I can do that too. Whatever you do or do not want, I can do that.”

Sam nods, a small smile on his face as he wiggles back into Gabe’s chest because he doesn’t want to maintain eye contact. “Thank you.” A part of him wishes he could talk to Dean about these things so that it’s not the person he’s in a relationship with, but he doesn’t need Dean going on a revenge trip through Hell. “I mean it.”

They lie there for a moment in silence before Gabe asks, “Do you want me to head back to my room tonight, or do you want me to sleep here? Clothes on, if I stay.”

“I want you to stay here,” Sam blurts out, hands clutching Gabe’s tunic so he can’t go even if he thinks about it. “Please.”

“On one condition. Even if you don’t tell me what memory is triggered, you tell me when it happens. I don’t really appreciate worrying about what I might have done wrong,” Gabe admits as he doesn’t move an inch. 

“I can do that.” It might take him a moment, but he will work to remember to ask next time it happens. Given all the things that happened to him, there’s no way that Sam doesn’t get triggered again. 

They lie there for a while, just holding each other on the bed. Sam feels himself calming down, relaxing, and he has a feeling it’s related to opening up to Gabe, to his mate. “Can we take a shower? I’d like to get clean before we actually go to bed.”

“When you say we, do you mean us together or us one at a time?” 

Sam sits up and thinks it through because he really isn’t in the mood for another bad memory. “They oiled me up before sending me out, but they never bothered to clean me off. I was given a cloth to clean off, and that was it. I think a shower together will be okay.” 

“And if it’s not, then you have to tell me right away.” Gabriel looks at Sam and makes sure to meet his eyes. He can read Sam’s body language pretty well, but sometimes he needs a little more than that to make sure he’s reading Sam correctly. 

“I’ll tell you right away.” There’s no laughter in Sam’s voice or eyes, so he believes the honesty in the statement. Sam rolls off the bed and pulls off his shirt and pants, tossing them into the hamper. Gabriel takes a moment to appreciate the view before getting up and stripping himself. 

Sam has the water warming up, checking it every few seconds before deeming it the right temperature. “It’s ready.” 

“You sure?” Gabriel likes it hot, really hot, but Sam doesn’t always get it there.

Rolling his eyes, Sam just looks at him before reaching for the shampoo. That encourages Gabriel to step into the shower to find that yes, the water is hot enough. He snags the shampoo from Sam and pours it into his hands to start lathering it through his hair. 

“Feels so good,” Sam moans, leaning back into Gabriel’s chest. They’re roughly the same height now, forcing Gabriel to reach up, and he wonders just how tall Sam will get. Eighteen years old is too young to stop growing. 

Gabriel keeps massaging the shampoo into his scalp as Sam practically melts into Gabriel’s chest. Eventually he puts the shampoo down and grabs the soap to start washing every inch of Sam’s body. Minus one part, but that’s not the point right now. He could use a washcloth, but he wants the contact with his mate. 

And he can read Sam’s tension levels better skin to skin. 

Once he’s done washing Sam, Sam turns around and returns the favor, starting with Gabriel’s hair then cleaning his body. They finish with their own crotches, this more about contact and closeness than sex. 

A quick rubdown with towels, and then they’re dry enough to get into bed. Gabriel considers grabbing a tunic or at least a pair of underwear, just in case, but Sam doesn’t protest their nakedness, and he doesn’t want to make an issue out of it. A flick of his hand turns off the main light leaving them with the soft glow of the backup lights. 

“You’re not the only one who had things done to them.” The words come out just loud enough to be heard, the desire to share there but not massively strong. “Not to minimize what happened to you, but I kind of understand part of how you feel.”

Neither one of them says anything for a moment. “Do you want to talk about it, maybe just one event? Or who hurt you?”

“The who is easy. Angels in general, as a whole, our traditions. I’ve never been the biggest supporter of some, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have to do things I didn’t want to do. At first, I spoke up in protest, but eventually I learned not to.”

More silence as this isn’t a story to blurt out. “Not all of us want to be warriors. I pointed out that other jobs were just as important, like being a healer or raising food for our soldiers. But those were support jobs, not brave action for the glory of Heaven, so it didn’t count.

“I refused at first, skipped lessons for how to become a warrior. If I didn’t know what I was doing, they couldn’t put me in the field.” Now it’s Gabriel’s turn for a less than humorous laugh. “If I wouldn’t go willingly, they’d make me go.”

Sam shifts around so that he can pull Gabriel’s head down to his chest. He hasn’t rested on someone’s chest in years, but the feeling is just as comforting as he remembers. “How’d they make you go? And who are they?”

“They were the professors and teachers for the warrior students. If I had to be at their classes, they’d make sure I was there. My Father certainly wasn’t going to stop them, and Michael was too much of a sycophant to say anything.

“And this was before Lucifer was willing to really stand up to people. While I could see that he didn’t like it, that he didn’t agree with it, he didn’t have the strength at the time to say anything. He was too close to Michael then.

“So they grabbed me, beat me, whipped me, anything to convince me that not going to class would be even worse than class. No matter how much I didn’t want to be there, it was worse not being there. So I stopped fighting and I started going to class and I learned how to be a warrior.”

Gabriel doesn’t know what to say next, so he falls silent again. Sam doesn’t say anything either, just keeps his head on his chest and runs his fingers through his hair. That’s better than platitudes or empty words. 

“Eventually, I served my time, and by then Lucifer had left, Father was absent too. I started pushing for other services to be recognized, and Michael approved some of them. He couldn’t afford to have more angels leaving Heaven. I’m not happy about why he gave in, but at least he did, saving others from going through what I went through.” 

Sam nods while shifting to lie a little more comfortably under Gabe. It sounds like Gabe decided to use his trauma to make something positive out of it. Sounds like something he’d do. “I’m glad something good came out of it.”

Gabe nods, hair tickling Sam’s chest since they’re still touching. “Could have been worse, and that’s really all I have to say tonight.”

“Of course. Then we’ll sleep.” Sam closes his eyes in a conscious effort to fall asleep as fast as possible. He doesn’t really want to know anymore than Gabe already shared, and he isn’t going to push Gabe past what he’s comfortable sharing. So for tonight, they’re done. He’ll be here whenever Gabe wants or needs to share more. 


	63. Chapter 63

Jacob walks the slaves through the corridors heading for the library. While he wants to take this to Wrath directly, they need to run a series of tests to make sure that the spell worked, especially now that they’re not on Earth anymore. He will not present a failure because he likes his head where it is. 

Maggie follows Jacob only paying half attention to where they’re headed. Hell, if it wasn’t for Johnny bumping into her, she probably wouldn’t make it. Moving away from Earth didn’t break the spell, and she gets just enough power to make her loopy. 

They pass the slave pens at one point, demons hissing at them for bending over and taking it just to get out. Must be Pride demons. She doesn't care though, using some of her new power to flick little stinging hexes at them, the chorus of pained howls making her smile. 

At least until she feels fire licking at her hands and sees Jacob glaring at her. Oops. At least she knows the power spell works, giving her enough to get about the dampening of the bracelet. Score one for Greed, and a big fat loss for Pride. Sure, his spell works, but not as well as hers. 

In the library, Jacob shuts the doors then smacks her upside the head. Maggie grimaces, especially when she sees Johnny smirking, but she doesn’t complain. No point risking another smack. The power bubbles at her fingertips, tempting her, but she holds back.

“I take your little snit is proof that the spell wasn’t broken by returning to Hell.” Jacob crosses his arms before facing Maggie, not at all amused. Slaves like to bicker, but she should know better. 

“It did. I can still feel the additional power coming in, and it’s definitely there. The dampening charms still work, but a noticeable difference indicates that a heavy amount of power is coming through.”

Who knew humans could be so angry? Jacob knows that they sin quite a bit, the reason Hell still runs, but for Maggie to receive enough from one prison through dampening spells is an impressive amount of power. This really should help Wrath, especially once they can spread the spell out to even more places. 

“And is the magic hard to use?” Demons might have humanity deep in their heritage, but the two are different enough now that using each other’s magic may not be simple. “Power is good, but only if it can be used.”

Maggie raises an eyebrow at him, not saying a word. He waits a moment for words to accompany the look and raises his hand in warning when they don’t come. “I, a slave, not in Wrath’s line, with dampening spells on me, can use the power. Unless Wrath is completely incompetent, I’m pretty sure he can figure it out too.”

He really should smack her again for the insolence, but it’s not worth the effort, not when it won’t change her behavior. “Very well. We’ll update Wrath on our success, but we’ll still monitor you for at least a week before transitioning the spells to him as well. We need to verify that there are no side effects.”

If something happens to Wrath, he’ll be dead before he can blame it on Maggie. 

“I can run a series of diagnostic spells on her every day,” Johnny offers, not wanting to be left out. The Greed bitch might have come up with the better spell, but Johnny refuses to be cut out of this. He is not going back to the slave pens. 

Jacob eyes the researcher, not sure how much he trusts him. As an actual researcher, unlike Maggie, his Pride must be bruised after not discovering the most useful spell. “I’ll be there to watch and make sure the spells work properly. I need to take the readings to Wrath after seeing the numbers myself.”

Both of the others nod, Maggie looking a little more relaxed after hearing Jacob will be there for the testing. Given pinched Pride, Jacob doesn’t blame her. “Would you like to start by running a set now, or do we wait until morning?”

“Run them now,” Jacob orders, “to give us a base line. It won’t be exact since it’s been some time since the spell started, but it’s better than nothing.”

Johnny runs through the spells checking Maggie’s personal levels of magic, the amount of magic coming in, how much magic she can access through the dampening spells. He’s impressed by the amount of magic she has personally as well as what’s coming in, and he does his best not to get irritated. 

“Very well.” Jacob looks up from his notebook and checks the tension levels between the two researchers. “Johnny, I want you to keep looking into various other spells that could work well with what Maggie found. Maggie, you’re with me.”

She raises an eyebrow, curious about what Jacob wants with her. Her spell worked, and she’s not really abusing the power exactly, so what’s going on? If he wants to start using her for sex, she’ll take it, but she really hopes not. Sure, he’s hot, but she’s really not interested. Might make it too hard to get back to Greed if he becomes too familiar with her scent. 

She really can’t afford to lead a Wrath demon back to Greed especially with Greed’s hold over Wrath. 

Jacob leads her through the corridors again, but this time she behaves. No need to ask for pain. When they reach his personal rooms, she winces but stays quiet as he shuts the door behind them. 

“You’ll stay here for the time being. I don’t trust Johnny to be honest with you around, and there are some small rooms off the kitchen you can use.” Jacob gestures, and she follows the action to see two small, very bare rooms. At least they're hers. 

“The magic in your bracelet has changed, dampening your magic enough you can't leave the rooms. I’m leaving and won’t be back for awhile. Feel free to entertain yourself with whatever you find.” He nods and leaves, locking the door behind him. 

Obviously there isn’t anything useful here because he just gave her free reign of the place. She might find some personal things that will explain him, but she won’t find anything to help her escape. Maggie heads for the bedroom to start her search. It might not get her what she really wants, but she might as well see what she can learn. 

In the meantime, Jacob heads back up to Earth alone this time, curious about what he saw earlier. He knows what he saw, but now he wants to know why. That, and humans who spend time in Hell differ from those who don’t.

They could be a valuable resource. 

A few spells hide as much of his magical signature as possible, and Jacob takes a seat across from the warehouse. Not wanting to deal with the waiter, he orders a beer so that he has something and the waiter will leave him alone. Then he settles in to watch. 

He should have brought something to read because this is really boring. Enough of his senses are loose to see that there’s no magic going on inside. People are moving around, and he can tell there are angels around, but that’s about it. 

Do they never come outside? Does no one leave so that he can get an idea of how many people are in there? Jacob sighs and shifts to try and get comfortable again now that his ass is dead. If something doesn’t happen soon, he’s going to leave. 

“Paloma, wait!”

The shout draws his attention, and Jacob watches a man chase after a woman walking down the street. He has no magic on him, just the taint of Hell, but she clearly has enough magic in her form to be a user. Well, progress. 

“Nathan, no, I can't do this anymore.” She stops when he takes her arm but doesn’t turn around to face him. “I know that bad things happened to you, but if you run your life because of them, then you’re not moving past it all, and you’re stagnant.”

“It’s hard, Paloma. I didn’t have a Sam to help me work through the trauma. I had to work through it myself,” Nathan tells her, resting his head on her shoulder, “and getting rid of those survival mechanisms isn’t easy. I’m trying though.”

She sighs, turning around to face him now. “I know. I see you willing to talk to Sam, talking to the residents, but you still tend to ignore the angels. They’re part of your life now, especially as the resident handyman, and you can’t keep avoiding them.”

“At least I don’t leave the room when they come in anymore.” Nathan feels eyes on him but ignores them because right now Paloma is more important. Ordering the angels around during construction was easy, but dealing with them in a more relaxed situation isn’t easy. 

They might not be demons, but that doesn’t make them human. 

“Would you talk to Hodah?” Paloma holds her breath, keeping her eyes on Nathan’s chest. She feels him shudder, and she closes her eyes to prepare for rejection. 

“Once a month, to start.”

It takes a moment for her to realize what she just heard, and then she looks up with a huge smile. “That’s great. It has to be something you’re willing to do or it won’t work.”

Nathan hugs her so she can’t see his face anymore because he doesn’t want her to see the pure panic he knows is there. It’s been more than a decade since he was in Hell, but that doesn’t make talking about it any easier. 

Jacob watches the couple and smiles a little because as irritating as humans are, they are a little cute. Unfortunately, although he’s learned that they have a witch on their side, he hasn’t really learned anything else in the last few hours, so he heads back to Hell figuring he can come back later. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Nathan watches a man walk away from the cafe across the street. There’s something odd about him. “Paloma?” She looks up, curious. “Can you sense an aura after a person has left?”

She narrows her eyes at Nathan. This is the first time he’s ever shown interest in her magic. “If the person has been there long enough. I get a general sense of what they were doing there, nothing more.”

“Can you tell if the person was not human?”

Where is he going with this? “Most likely. Every species gives off its own feeling even if the being tries to mask what they are. That magic alone gives things away. Where do you want me to look?”

Nathan leads her across the street to the table the man sat at. “Can you tell what sat here, any intentions?”

Paloma closes her eyes and stretches out her hands. Nathan waits for something to happen that he can see but nothing. She stands there silently for several moments before her eyes fly open and she stares at Nathan. “We’re leaving.” Paloma grabs his hand and drags him back to the shelter up to the dining room. 

“Hey, Paloma, I thought you were leaving,” Sam says, looking up at her from his grilled cheese. Gabriel comes out from the kitchen appearing equally confused. 

“Nathan and I were talking outside, then he had me read a chair. Whoever was sitting in it was a demon, one strong enough to hide their power.” She rubs her hands up and down her arms, not meeting their eyes. “And they were watching, both us and the shelter.” 

Sam and Gabriel share a look before focusing on Paloma again. “Any chance it was actually a weak demon checking us out because they might want help?”

She starts shaking her head before they finish talking. “A weak signature and a strong signature trying to appear weak feel different even if the power levels read the same.”

Gabriel swears, and Nathan moves closer to Paloma in case he takes out his frustration on her. Nathan drew their attention to the issue, so he’ll take the consequences. “We knew they’d notice us eventually. I’d just hoped it’d take longer.” 

“So we increase security and watch even harder for signs of demonic activity.” Sam finishes his sandwich before taking a deep breath and standing up. “I refuse to let a demon watching us stop what we’re doing. I will not let them scare us away.”

Nathan wishes he was as strong as this kid. He’s got Paloma, kind of, so he isn’t going anywhere even with demons around, but he’s going to be on high alert. No demon is ever taking him again. “Any chance you can get me a gun?”

He ignores the unhappy look on Paloma’s face and keeps his eyes on Sam. “Yes. Talk to Elrad, give him your preferences. Whatever makes you feel more secure. In the meantime, I’m going to add a few more layers of spells for increased security.” He bows while grabbing his plate and heading into the kitchen, Gabriel on his heels. 

“A gun? Really?” Paloma still doesn’t look happy, but Nathan isn’t backing down. 

“I need something to help fight back. Without magic, a gun is the best I can do.” Not that he really wants to do magic. 

She doesn’t like it, but Paloma can understand the need. “You keep it away from my shop and my house.” 

Nathan nods. “Deal.” 

There’s nothing else they can do about the demon now. Hopefully they’re alarmed for nothing, but better safe than sorry. They’ll just have to wait and see what happens. “I’m cooking tonight. Want to help?”

With a smile, Nathan holds out an arm to escort her out. If it’s going to be like a date, he might as well be extra polite. “Of course. Lead the way.” The smile he gets in response makes the action worth it, and they head off for an evening together. He has high hopes for a slow evening in, a nice first date. 

Just dinner, for now. There’ll be time for more later, once they know each other better. For now, Nathan’s just happy that he still has a chance. Paloma’s worth going slow. 


	64. Chapter 64

Sam summons the angels to the dining room, the best place for them to sit and plan. He never thought about an office for himself when planning the space, but they manage. Everyone exchanges glances but doesn’t say anything. Sam gestures for Nathan to start. 

“There might have been a demon watching the shelter earlier today. Paloma said that she sensed it and it was probably hiding its skill levels.” Nathan shrugs and shifts his weight foot to foot. Too many angels. 

“This lines up with the sense that I had someone watching me while Gabe and I were out earlier.” Sam sighs and shakes his head. “We couldn’t get away with it forever, expecting people to ignore us or not even see us. We need to step up our security now.”

“Passive or active?” Enoch asks, trying to figure out which would be better. “We can put up more passive spells, but the active spells might be more effective against stronger demons.”

“We need both,” Gabriel sits at the end of the table, a large book in his hands. “We layer up the passive spells and add in warnings that tell us when we need active spells. The majority of active spells can be built most of the way to prepare for when they’re needed.”

“I’ll work on the active spells,” Elrad announces, looking over at Miri. “They’re my specialty. And you’ll help?”

Miri nods agreement. “Sure. Active works for me. Angelic or human?”

“Angelic,” Sam tells them. “I’ll work with Paloma for the human spells, and we’re going to leave out demonic magic. We don’t need to attract any more attention than we already have, and demonic magic will be easiest for them to unravel.”

“Makes sense.” Enoch stands up with a stretch. “I’ll work on passive with everyone else. We’ll get as much up as we can.”

“Don’t overdo it though,” Gabriel cautions them. “Too many spells and they’ll cancel out each other’s effectiveness.” 

“We can handle this,” Miri assures him, looking back at Sam. “This might have been your project, but it’s ours now too. We’ll do what we can to protect it just like you will.” They’ve had a few dozen humans through the shelter, and while Miri doesn’t exactly see them as friends, she doesn’t want to see them get hurt.

“Thanks.” Sam watches them all head out before looking back at Nathan. “Did you specifically sense a demon when he was watching you or just that someone was watching you?”

“Just the eyes on me.” Nathan tries to remember the sensation again. “I’ve been vigilant for a long time, so I know when someone’s watching me, but that doesn’t mean I always know who.” 

“Hopefully that’s the end of it,” Gabriel says even though he’s pretty sure it won’t be. Once something catches a demon’s attention, there’s no diverting it. “And if it’s not, we’ll be prepared.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Sam adds. 

“Is there anything else I can do to help?”

Sam shakes his head. “I wish there was, but the most effective protections are magical, and you can’t do angelic magic. Paloma might know something you can help her with, but I don’t know of anything.”

Nathan nods although he really wishes he could do something to help. For once in his life, he wishes he could do magic. “Alright. I'll head back down, let her know the plan. Anything I can do with her, I will.”

Gabriel watches him walk out before turning to face Sam. “How are you holding up? With the first potential threat against the shelter,” he clarifies at the confusion on Sam’s face.

“Oh, alright, I guess.” Sam shrugs while drawing random shapes on the tabletop. “We had to know that it was coming eventually, right?”

“Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean you have to like it.” Gabriel scoots down the bench to put his arm around Sam’s shoulders. “This is your place, and while it may not be realistic, hoping it’d be safe forever would make some sense.”

Sam shrugs again, not really sure how he feels. He should have seen this coming, and he did, to an extent, but now he feels mostly numb. How is he supposed to feel, knowing that the demons  _ might  _ attack them? Doesn’t mean they will. Doesn’t mean they care enough to.

“Wait.” Sam sights up straighter has he has an idea. “Nathan implied that Paloma thought the demon was powerful enough to hide its strength.”

Gabriel nods, not sure where Sam is going with this.

“And demons that strong don’t normally just visit Earth for fun. They generally have a reason?”

Gabriel nods again, an inkling of an idea of what Sam’s talking about. “So you want to see if we can figure out what they were up to.”

Sam smiles at Gabe, bouncing up from the table no longer numb. “Exactly. If they’re going to try and mess with us, we should try to mess with their plans too.”

“Where do you want to start?” Gabriel stands up and heads downstairs to the armory to grab several knives and a sword. He straps them on his body before handing a knife to Sam so that he can defend himself. Magic is his weapon of choice, but just in case. 

“Back near the the grocery store. We won’t have people watching us this time which means we’ll have a chance to search for whoever was watching us,” Sam decides, studying the knife. He doesn’t want it, really doesn’t want it, but he also knows that Gabe won’t let him leave the shelter without it. 

Gabe watches him until he straps the knife to his back then leads him out of the shelter. “Have you figured out what to do with the palm hearts yet?”

Sam knew he forgot something. “No, not yet. I’ll ask Paloma next time I see her which might be sooner rather than later given the need for new protection spells.” 

He has a point, and Gabriel just nods, nothing more to add. They walk in silence back to the grocery store, nodding at the occasional human they recognize. After two years in the city, they’ve made relationships even if they are very shallow and unimportant. 

At the grocery store, Sam turns to Gabriel. “You’ve got more experience with this than I do. What do you suggest we do next?”

Gabriel puts a hand up to gesture for silence and steps into the alley to avoid prying eyes. He stretches out his senses until he can pick up the faint scent of demon, faint enough he keeps his eyes closed. Trusting Sam to follow and his instincts to keep him safe, Gabriel starts walking down the alley. 

It takes a while, but the scent of demon slowly gets stronger. He follows it step by step until it just stops. Opening his eyes, Gabriel looks at a road as car after car goes by. “Damn it.” Even he can’t follow the trail of a car several days past. 

“My turn,” Sam says, stepping up to the sidewalk. “I’ve been working on different tracking spells recently, interested in the different ways humans travel. Instead of us tracking the demons, the spell locks onto their magical signature and follows it wherever. Then we follow the spell to wherever the demons ended up. Magic can track magic better than you can.”

Well then. Gabriel never would have thought of that, one of the advantages of handling your own education instead of being taught by the system. “Have you tried this tracking spell yet?”

“No, I haven’t had a reason to, and Paloma would be the only test subject I’d have. Problem is, I wouldn’t really know what I was tracking. I could feel her magic, my spell, or just by habit.” Sam shrugs while starting the spell, moving his fingers while whispering words in Latin. Human magic for this one, utilizing Earthly ley lines. 

Sam can feel the eyes on him, but this time they don’t make him nervous because he knows it’s Gabe. Instead of making him nervous, it makes him feel supported, makes it easier to do the magic. Soon enough, the spell is set and off running on its own. 

“Here.” Gabe waves a hand, and Sam feels magic shimmer over them. “It’ll keep us hidden as we move a little faster than humans. That magic is moving fast.”

“As fast as a car, I guess,” Sam says while starting to run down the sidewalk. Fortunately this street is less busy so they don’t have to dodge too many people. The spell leads them further and further away from the city center until it stops just outside a barbed wire fence. 

“What is this place?” Gabriel looks at the building, the desperation seeping through the air making his skin crawl. 

Sam looks around and casts a translation spell to read the sign on the side of the building. “A prison. What does a group of demons want with a prison?”

Gabriel breathes in the air again, breaking down everything he can sense in it. “Sins. These humans are not exactly shining examples of humanity. And sins mean power.”

Oh. That’s not good. “And there are spells to harness that power, aren’t there?”

“I would assume so. Lucifer would be the best person to ask. It’s not something that angels would do, or could do to be honest, and I haven’t heard of it, so we haven’t had to fight it.” Gabriel checks around to make sure no one can see them before creating a bench for them to sit on. “Something like that could be old magic just recently rediscovered.”

“Can we get down to Hell to ask Lucifer, or is he too busy?” Sam wants answers as soon as possible so that he knows what to expect. 

“Let’s get closer first. There’s something in the air that makes me think they left something here, did more than just visit.” Once Sam stands, Gabriel vanishes the bench and whispers a spell that lets them move through the fence without setting off any warnings. 

He casts a second spell to make sure that people can’t see them then starts scanning for magic. They walk around the building, sensing demons but not finding anything specific until the last wall to check. Gabriel studies the mark on the wall, the faint trails he can see stretching down through the Earth. 

Well, that’s not good. Something is definitely leaving the prison and going down to Hell. 

“I don’t like the look of that.” A quick wave of Sam’s hand reveals arcane marks on the brick wall. “I don’t recognize it, but I can pick out specific symbols related to power and transference.” He steps closer to the building, a cute little frown on his face as he studies the marks. “And anger seems important here.”

A shiver runs down Gabriel’s spine. “Or Wrath.”

Shit. Sam focuses on the mark this time to memorize it, grateful for his nearly perfect memory. “We need to get back to the shelter. I want to look into this before we go down to Hell. If we know what questions to ask Lucifer, then we won’t have to spend as much time down there.” Although he wants to try and stay long enough for dinner with Dean. 

Gabriel has a bad feeling about the spell although it could just be the fact that it’s demonic magic that gets to him. “Sounds like a plan. I have no more interest in spending extra time in Hell than you do. I’m not really sure how Cassie manages it.”

“Or Dean.” Sam has a feeling that part of the reason Dean is so okay with Hell has something to do with his mate being in Hell. “But they are warriors, and it’s part of the price of being a warrior.”

One of the reasons he never quite made it as warrior. He couldn’t push aside his distaste of things to do his job properly. It wasn’t a lack of dedication to Heaven so much as a disinterest in the job that made dedication to fighting so hard. 

Sam studies the spell then waves a hand to hide it from human eyes again. “I’d try to mess with it now, but I don’t want to do something that causes something nasty we’ll have to deal with.”

“Smart thinking.” Always better to think before acting, and Sam is very good at that. “May I give you a ride home?” It’s a small thing, especially since Sam can get himself home, but it’s a small thing that qualifies as a part of courting. Gabriel’s energy and dedication to make a small part of Sam’s life a little easier, a little nicer. 

Sam looks at him with a small smile. “Thank you.” When Gabriel scoops him up in his arms to carry him home, an action still easy enough even with Sam still growing, Sam kisses him on the cheek. Gabriel smiles back at the action then carries his mate home. 


	65. Chapter 65

When they get back to the shelter, Elrad steals Gabe away, asking questions about spells, and Silas appears in front of Sam, arms crossed. “What the hell is going on?”

Sam takes a deep breath and ushers the man into the kitchen so they can sit. As much as he might want to keep the others in the dark, that won’t help them trust him. “A demon was sensed outside, so we’re working to increase the protections around the shelter. Nothing says that there’s an active threat, but better safe than sorry.” 

That does not sound good. “Is there anything we can do?” Silas will do whatever it takes to not go back to Hell, literally anything. 

“Right now, no. Just stay up to date on your training. If we have a concrete threat, know who to look for, we’ll let you know.” Sam shrugs and watches several other residents enter the kitchen. Hopefully they don’t have questions because he wants to start research. “Right now, it’d just be spreading panic for something we can’t control.”

Silas understands the logic, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. He wants to be able to do something. “Is there any way that we can see demons?” Most of the residents spend the majority of their time at the shelter, but some of them are starting to branch out, visit the city. The angels leave even less often than the residents. 

“Yes, but there’s a catch.” Silas narrows his eyes, waiting for it. “It takes a spell, and that spell will make you smell like magic. Although demons aren’t too picky about the humans they take as slaves, smelling like magic will make you stand out.”

Shit. That’s a hell of a catch. While Silas has no interest in using magic, having someone he trusts work it on him would be acceptable. Unless it makes him an even bigger target. “And there’s no way to change that?” Hasn’t he heard them talking about hiding magic before?

“I can reduce the amount of magic that people sense around you, but I cannot remove it entirely.” Sam tries to come up with a way to explain it that might make sense to a human, to someone who doesn’t use magic. 

“Think of it like food. Garlic smells. I can add tomato sauce to reduce the smell of garlic, but if I have a limited amount of sauce, the garlic smell won’t go away completely, and you can still smell the tomatoes. If I just pour tomato sauce into a bowl, you can smell it.

“Magic is like that. A magical signature smells like garlic, and it can be mostly covered up by a spell, the sauce, but you’ll still smell both since a spell has limited magic. And if there’s no magic but a spell is dumped into the absence of magic, you’ll smell the tomato.”

Silas isn’t entirely sure that the comparison works, but he gets the point, so he doesn’t argue. “If I ask you to perform the spell to let me see demons, will you?”

He watches the expressions cross the little demon’s face, curious just how forceful the boy will be. “If you think it’s necessary, then we can discuss it with the angels. If we’re going to perform magic that will draw attention and possible danger to us, it needs to be a group decision.”

A decision made by a bunch of angels is better than a decision made by just one person, but Silas would like to have a say in it. “And us? The residents? Do we have a say?”

“Second hand.” Sam knows that Silas doesn’t want to feel forced into things, but there are some things he just has to accept. “If the angels are the main defense, the front line, they get first say regarding actions that could make their job more difficult. If they say no, then no. If they say yes, then the residents will make the final decision.”

“I don’t hear you in there making decisions, unless you count yourself among the angels.”

Sam shrugs, not bothered by the continuing questions. Silas has every right to know what’s going on with his safety. “I won’t. I can defend myself, unlike you, but I’m not a defender like the angels since I don’t have the experience or skill. I don’t really have the right to have a say.” He picked people he trusts to make the right decisions for a reason. 

Silas nods, satisfied with that. “As long as we get a say.” He’s going to run this past Victoria, see what she thinks about seeing demons, the potential danger it could cause. “Is there anything you are going to do?”

“Research. We found a symbol on the prison wall, and it’s my job to figure out what it’s for.” Sam stands, ready to leave and get started. “That’s what I’m good at.”

“Then what are you doing hanging around here?” Silas winks at him to take the sting out of the statement and gets a grin in response. Who knew he’d ever be comfortable around a demon? “Chop chop, kid!”

Sam tosses his head back with a laugh. “Sir, yes sir.” He waves at the residents in the kitchen before heading for the library. 

Hours later, Sam rests his head on the book in front of him because his eyes need a break. He’s found things that refer to parts of the magic they found, but none of them have all of the elements. Trying to put the pieces together seemed like a good idea, but then he ends up with conflicting purposes. 

“Not going well?” A hand rests on the back of his head, pulling away some of the irritation in his eyes. “Have you been able to find anything?”

Sam waves a hand at his notes, not wanting to go over it all since he’s really not feeling it at the moment. Papers shuffle as the hand on his head starts playing with his hair, the gesture feeling absent minded rather than intentional. It feels really good though, so he doesn’t say anything. 

“I see. Clearly, this isn’t going to be easy. Sifting human emotions, downplaying human emotions, coiling power.” Fingers tap against the table. “My guess, they’re trying to funnel the power to a noble to give him a boost in a battle.”

“But why the focus on limiting the power? Why use something to pull human power and something to refine it that when used together mean that the power is just muddled power likely to sink into a ley line?” Sam lifts his head just enough to thunk it against the book.

“Hey, enough of that.” Gabe picks him up and puts him down again into his lap. “No need to hurt yourself because you’re frustrated. What can I do to distract you?”

Sam twists so that he can bury his nose in Gabe’s neck, appreciating his scent and wishing his fingers were still in his hair. As he shifts again, he realizes just how much his body likes it. “Um…” He has no idea how to ask this.

Gabriel waits for more, but nothing comes. He can’t see Sam’s face, so he breathes deep to catch his scent for a hint about how Sam feels. That’s when he realizes that Sam’s aroused, not massively but clearly enough to be noticed. Does Sam not want to address it, or does he not know  _ how  _ to address it?

On a hunch, Gabriel stands up, carrying Sam in his arms. “Why don’t we head upstairs? Just getting out of here will give you a break, and we can grab a bite to eat. Once dinner’s done, we can go to your room and relax for the rest of the night, start fresh tomorrow.”

Taking a break sounds nice, but dinner wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. They have to eat though, so might as well start first. Sam doesn’t quite know what he wants to do tonight, but starting with dinner gives him a chance to think. 

Upstairs, dinner has already started. Paloma and Nathan bring out a large bowl of vegetables, spiced chicken, and noodles. “It’s an Americanized dish,” Nathan explains, “pasta salad but made with Brazilian spices and vegetables.” 

Paloma smiles over at him, and Sam hides a smile of his own. They’ve been dancing around each other ever since Nathan started helping out at the shelter, and this looks like progress. He wants them to be happy, and he’s pretty sure that this will make them happy. 

Gabriel bumps shoulders with Sam because he did see the smile. He can smell the interest on both of the humans, and it’s nice to see them getting along. “Do you think they’ll get together?”

He considers the whispered question before leaning down to place his mouth next to Sam’s ear. “I think so. Pity we don’t have a cupid to help them out.”

Sam smiles up at him, adorable. “Pity. Are there angels that function the way humans perceive cupids?”

“Cupids?” Jennifer looks up across the table at the mention of love angels. “Are there such things in Heaven?”

Gabriel wobbles his hand back and forth in a non answer. “We have cherubim, but that’s a class of angel related to power, not baby angels in diapers with wings. As for cupid, not really. We’re not entirely sure where the idea came from.”

“That’s a shame,” Jennifer pouts. “Then again, I’m not sure I really like the idea of an entity able to make me fall in love with someone.”

“It wouldn’t really be love, would it?” Sam pokes at his food while thinking it through. “If it’s forced upon you, if you don’t have any say in it, it’s not love.”

“What about soulmates?” Larissa asks. “Are those a thing?”

Gabriel hesitates, not sure what to say. How is he supposed to explain this in front of Sam when he doesn’t talk to him about them?

“They exist,” Sam finally says, breaking the short silence. “They exist for angels at least. Not all angels have a mate, and they can be any species. And it doesn’t mean automatic love. Even if there’s someone meant for you, someone you can have a phenomenal relationship with, it takes work and patience.”

He should know. Gabe has been more than a little patient with him over the past several years, and he doesn’t quite know how to thank him for it. Something tells him sexual favors won’t go over well with Gabe. 

Larissa pouts while looking at Sam a little closer. He sounds like he’s talking from experience. Yeah, she’s probably going to lose that bet to Jennifer, but whatever. They’re a cute couple even if Gabriel’s older than him. Whatever floats his boat. “Well, I guess I’ll find my love the old fashioned way, in a bar.”

The other residents laugh as Sam wonders just how effective that really is. Alcohol doesn’t help while making decisions especially when picking someone for a romantic relationship. Then again, he’s with an angel thousands of years older than him because they’re mates. Who is he to judge how people find their significant others?

He jumps a little when a hand closes around his, and he looks to the side to see Gabe smiling at him. Apparently Sam said something that was right. 

“Patience and work are important for all relationships,” Gabriel adds, “but it’s generally worth it, especially for soulmates. My brothers are all happy with their soulmates, most of the time.” Luci and Mike can have some serious raging fights if they stop talking about things. 

“Well, best of luck to them,” Jennifer adds before taking another bite of dinner. “Hopefully we all end up lucky in love.” She’s never believed in happily ever after exactly, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to at least try to find happiness. 

“Hopefully,” Sam echoes, thoughts going back to the things he’s learned about the physical side of relationships. Maybe they can try a little more than just exploring each other’s bodies tonight. After all, it’ll be a Hell of a distraction from the magic that’s driving him nuts. He’ll see what Gabe wants to do. 


	66. Chapter 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam takes a step forward with his relationship, with trusting Gabe. And Gabe's so good at talking through things with Sam!

After dinner, Gabriel escorts Sam up to his room where the boy sits on his bed. He can’t tell if the boy is scared nervous or anxious nervous, and it makes a difference. Anxious nerves means he might have something planned for the night. 

“What do you think about soulmates?” Sam asks, not the topic Gabriel was expecting. “Do you think that every angel has one and the majority just don’t find theirs, or do you really think only a few of them have soulmates?”

Gabriel lies on the bed next to Sam while thinking it through. His first thought is either way the odds are low, and he’s lucky to have found Sam. “I don’t know. There are so few angels that I struggle to believe that angels couldn’t find their soulmates, so I’m inclined to think that only a few angels have soulmates.”

“And demons?” Sam shifts to sit right next to Gabriel, finger tracing shapes on his thighs, something Gabriel can easily feel through the denim. “Do you think they have soulmates? God created them, like angels, and they’re magical beings. And Dean and I both have mates. The way you guys talk about it, you’re as much my mate as I’m yours.”

Damn. Gabriel hasn’t thought about that since he doesn’t really think about demons that much. “Perhaps demons are more like angels that we want to admit. It would make sense that some demons have soulmates just like angels. They likely wouldn’t advertise that though, a weakness people could easily exploit.”

“But it’s also a strength.” Sam shifts again, his thigh now pressing against Gabriel’s thigh, warm and solid. “Having a soulmate gives you something to fight for, a serious incentive to keep your strength and skills up.”

That’s a good point, but that doesn't mean demons will see it that way. A weakness is a weakness even if an element of it provides some strength. “Perhaps we can ask some of the demons in angelic custody. If we provide the right incentive, plenty will give us information.”

Sam shrugs, not sure he really cares enough to find out. “Maybe. We could always ask Lucifer next time we’re in Hell.” They’re planning a visit soon enough. 

Gabe nods an agreement, eyes following the path of Sam’s fingers on his leg. He doesn’t say anything though, doesn’t push him away and doesn’t reciprocate either. Sam starts to get nervous, but at least he isn’t being pushed away. 

As if he’s projecting his nerves, Sam feels a hand on his side, warm and relaxing. Gabe still doesn’t say anything, but he decides to branch out a bit, hand sliding up under his shirt to trace the muscles on his stomach. “What’s the next step?”

“Next step?” Gabe’s hand doesn’t move as he looks confused. 

“In a relationship.” His voice comes out just above a whisper. “I want to do more than just touch, but I don’t know what to do next.” Sam hates admitting ignorance, hates that he can’t find the answer in his research.

“Depends on the relationship,” Gabe tells him, sitting up to pull him into his arms. “But I think a good next place for us would be a little more exploration.” He shifts so that his legs bracket Sam’s body. “You’ve touched me everywhere, but you haven’t let me touch you there either. And it’s been you focused on my body, not us focused on both bodies together.” 

Sam hesitates, not sure if he wants to take that step. He’s not the first person Gabe’s seen, and the idea that he might not measure up makes him freeze. It’s been easier starting by getting intimately familiar with Gabe so that he can be very comfortable before the next step. He has to start somewhere if he’s going to do more with Gabe.

And he really wants that, just has to move past the nerves. 

“Okay.” Sam takes a deep breath, trying to figure out how to phrase his request without pissing off Gabe. “But first, can you promise to never mention anyone else you’ve been with? Like, no comparisons or anything? I know I’m not that experienced, but I don’t really want to hear about it.”

Gabriel takes a moment to reign in the initial reaction of severe anger before reminding himself that Sam is so, so new to all of this. “Listen to me.” He tips Sam’s head so that their eyes meet, needing to make sure he understands. “Yes, I have had sex before. But they aren’t you, and I will _not_ let them ruin or interfere with our relationship. I will _never_ mention a prior lover, ever, unless you ask something specific about one of them.”

Given that Sam doesn’t know who his lovers were, and it’s been centuries, it’s probably not going to come up. Then again, if he has to explain how he learned a certain move, it might come up. Only if Sam asks, he swears. 

Sam thinks through that and nods because Gabe hasn’t said anything so far, and he doesn't really see that changing. “Okay.” He had a feeling Gabe would say something like that, but it’s still nice to hear. “Lie down.” He shift to kneel on the bed as Gabe lies down again. His plan starts with touching familiar areas as a warm up then moving into new territory, but…

Deciding to start with a new first step to his plan, Sam tosses his leg over Gabe’s waist so he’s straddling his hips, something he’s comfortable with. Sam sucks in a deep breath at the contact, Gabe already interested in their activities. He leans down and whispers a spell that removes his shirt in one go. 

Gabriel stares up at Sam, surprised to see Sam knows that spell. He hasn’t used it before, but that might be because they’re normally moving a lot slower. Then Sam leans down and licks Gabriel’s left nipple, and he sucks in a breath. Fuck, that feels good. 

That reaction gives Sam his cue, and he starts sucking on his left nipple. Gabriel’s hips start rolling up into Sam’s, hand coming up to rest on the back of his head. It feels amazing, all that wet suction, the occasional brush of hard teeth, both sending sensations straight to his cock, making him fully hard in moments. 

Not only does it feel amazing, but it’s the first time his mate has used his mouth on Gabriel’s body, and he loves it. 

When Sam reaches up to pinch and pull at his other nipple, Gabriel lets out a shout. Apparently Sam’s been thinking about this because this is new to him. He’s sure as Hell not protesting this progress. Feels amazing, good enough that he can’t stay quiet. 

“So good, Sam. So fucking good. Don’t know where you figured this out, but it’s good. You can do it whenever you want. And I’ll do it to you, if you want me to. Would love to make you feel this good too.” 

The words make Sam laugh, another sensation for Gabriel's body, and one he wants to feel again. He’s never going to push Sam, but he really hopes he stays comfortable doing this. Really, really hopes because it’s so fucking good.

Sam sits back to look at Gabe for a moment, wants to see his effect on Gabe. Flushed cheeks spreading down to his upper chest. Both nipples are furled, one shiny with his spit. He leans in to shift sides, but Gabe puts a hand over his mouth. 

“My turn. I want to see if it makes you feel as good as it makes me feel.” Gabe rolls them over faster than Sam can process. He’s still a little out of breath when Gabe leans in and returns the favor, licking his nipple until it furls up enough for him to suck on it. 

His hips roll, just like Gabe’s did, and the pressure against his crotch is amazing. It might be from his dick, but he can feel it through his whole body. But his pants are tight, too tight, and he whispers a variation of his prior spell to vanish their pants and underwear, although he isn’t sure if Gabe was wearing any in the first place. 

He doesn’t want the protection of pants this time.

“Better,” he tells Gabe as their dicks rub together. It’s the first time it’s happened without clothes, and Sam really wishes he had gotten over his nerves sooner. It’s amazing. “So good.”

He doesn’t know what else to say. Sam feels like he jumped into the deep end of a pool of sensations, something entirely physical, something he’s never done before. All he can think is that it’s good, that it’s amazing. Gabe’s mouth is warm and wet on his nipple, his fingers are firm on the other. 

And his dick is just as hard but the skin so soft, a contradiction that’s blowing his mind even as he tries to figure it out. Touching with his hand doesn’t compare. 

Then he gives up on figuring it out and just feels. For the first time ever, Sam lets go of thoughts and just feels. He focuses on the physical, on his dick sliding against Gabe’s, the tension drawing his balls closer to his body, the sweat building up between them making the movement easier.

Gabe bites down in the middle of sucking, not hard enough to draw blood but hard enough to leave a mark. Sam shouts and cums, making a mess on their stomachs, hips still rolling and spreading the mess. Sensitivity builds up, blurring the line between pleasure and pain, and Gabe backs off a little, creating some separation between them. 

While he wants to keep grinding on Sam for his own orgasm, Gabriel takes himself in hand instead. A few stroke later and he adds to the mess on their bodies. He reaches out to smear it into their skin, Sam first, so that their combined scents will stay with them for a bit, at least until they shower. 

Sam whimpers a few times, likely from sensitivity, but doesn’t make Gabriel stop, so he doesn’t. Eventually he’s done what he needs, satisfied with their scents, with his mark on his mate, and Gabriel rest on his side next to Sam, watching him. 

“Well, that was a little more than I expected to do,” he admits. 

Sam giggles a bit, shifting on the bed until he’s closer to Gabriel. “Same here. I don’t really know how it got that far. But I’m not complaining.” He looks up in a rush, face worried. “Are you? Was it too much too fast?”

Gabriel laughs and kisses Sam on the forehead, trying to help him calm down. “No, it wasn’t too much. You’re the one in charge of the speed of things. Trust me, if you do go too fast, I’ll let you know.” 

He nods, face relaxed again. “Okay.” A slow smile spreads across his face. “It was amazing, and I definitely want to do it again.” Sam pauses again. “I still want to touch you there, though, explore.” 

“Whatever you want, just let me know when.” Gabriel leans in to kiss him again, this time on the lips. “And I’ll try to keep it slower.”

Sam nods then sits up, wrinkling his nose when the cum starts to get itchy. Gabe waves his hand to clean them off with a quick spell. “Is it always like that?”

“Always like what?” 

“All that sensation, no thought except that it feels amazing?” Sam cocks his head while trying to figure out how to articulate his thoughts. “I was trying to pay attention to it all, my chest, my… dick,” it feels a little weird to say it out loud, “yours, the fact that I could feel it all over my body. But it was just too much, and all I could do was feel, not think.”

Gabe shrugs a little. “It can be like that. The more sensations you feel, the more overwhelming they might be. It isn’t always like that, but it should be, with a good lover. If it’s more about the emotions though, more about loving than sex, then maybe not so much. You'll be able to focus on the love.”

That makes sense, but then does that mean… “Then this wasn’t about love?” The idea makes his heart hurt. 

Arms surround him in a tight hug. “Yes, it was. I did that with you because I love you, even if I don’t say it all the time. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean every time you get together is to make love. Couples very much in love can fuck each other’s brains out until all they can do is feel.”

Well, that definitely sounds like something Dean would do with Castiel, and Sam knows that his brother loves his mate. Now that he thinks about it, he understands the point Gabe’s making. “Thanks for explaining that.” His heart doesn’t feel quite so tight anymore. He yawns, exhaustion crashing into him. “Can we sleep now?”

“Of course.” Gabriel maneuvers them around so that they’re lying together, Sam’s head resting on his chest. A wave of his hand turns off the light and locks the door, and they fall to sleep in moments, worn out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated 4th to my fellow Americans. Hope you enjoyed the holiday!


	67. Chapter 67

Maggie wakes up with a smile, still reveling in the fact that she has her own rooms. Add that to more power, and she’s flying high. Who knew being a slave could be so awesome? 

Having her own rooms means privacy. She managed to grab all of her notes and several books related to her personal research. Without Johnny looking over her shoulder, she can look into bonds on Sins and how to break them. 

Any spell strong enough to break a hold on a Sin should easily take care of the binding spell on her. They don’t talk specifically about slave bonds though, so the books aren’t kept away from slaves. If she does this right, she can get herself free, build up power from Earth, and make it back to Greed. 

Once there, her knowledge of the bonds against Wrath should curry favor with the nobles with land near his. If Wrath is restricted by Greed, even a strong noble should be able to use that against him, even if not as effectively as Greed himself. And a lack of power is killer for any demon no matter the bonds on it. 

Maggie settles in to read and takes notes once done with breakfast. It’s slow going, translation taking up the majority of her time, but it’s worth it. Like the power spell, older magic seems to have what she wants, rather than the magic most demons are familiar with. 

Stretching her back, sore from hunching over the table, Maggie wonders just how old these books are. From her research, she realizes just how new the Sins are, created by Lucifer to help him run Hell. There are many demons older than the Sins with far more power and magic much different than demons use now.

One of the older demons mentioned catches her eye, and Maggie stops in shock. Abaddon? If Abaddon’s an old demon, how did she lose to Paimon? Even with Greed and Envy on his side, Paimon isn’t exactly a strong demon. 

Maybe using the old magic with the new magic is the problem. If two things are blending and mixing together, you can worm your way between them if they don’t bond properly. Maggie’s planning to use old magic to break new magic, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Weakening the magic would help with breaking the bond. 

She ponders the issue while starting her research and translations again now that her back feels better. In the library, Johnny does the same, trying to come up with another power spell. The spell the bitch found can’t be the only spell out there. 

“What in Hell can I do?” Johnny paces behind a table, Pride smarting from the put down of Jacob not picking his spell. “How can I make this better?”

He starts grabbing books as he thinks, ones that will compliment each other, and he pauses, a thought coming to him. Wrath needs a lot of power, one jail not enough for him. Books reference each other, linking several together to create a great pool of magic. 

Can he do the same with the spell?

Johnny sits down and flips through the books looking for linking spells. If he can figure out how to link several different locations together into one source of power, his research will trump hers. A demon, even a Sin, can only have so many spells placed on their bodies. 

In order to have several sources for magic, they’ll have to be linked together on Earth before the power feeds into Wrath. Spells to enhance the power from one source only create so much extra power since it’s like creating power out of nowhere which isn’t unlimited. 

Johnny settles in to find the answers, refusing to let her show him up. He can be far more useful than her because she just got lucky. He actually knows how to do research. The linking spells he finds appear to be simple enough, but the more things he tries to link together, the less stable they’ll be. 

Damn. Mixing different types of spells together is never good, but… “It worked for her, didn’t it? Mixed power harnessing spells and human to demonic spells all to funnel power to herself. Sure, she’s the guinea pig, but I’m sure she knows how to use that power.” 

Frowning and pacing, Johnny starts looking for more books to help him. “Not that she’ll be honest about how much power she’s getting. She’ll downplay it the whole time, so he’d better be checking it himself.” He doesn’t have much faith in Jacob, a lackey yes, man, but whoever Wrath wants to get things done. 

While he gets lots of information about linking spells, he doesn’t find one thing that looks like a clear answer, and it’s bugging him. He might not be part of Wrath’s line, but he’s in Wrath’s territory, and it’s influencing him. 

So he pushes those notes aside and starts something else. Creating power out of nothing isn’t easy, but creating more sources of magic isn’t. Humans are so easy to manipulate, it can’t be that hard to increase the amount of wrath they give off. 

Creating power where it wasn’t before although not really out of nothing. Not that Wrath will care about the nuances of the magic. He just wants power in a manner that will keep coming to him so he can take over more parts of Hell, including the parts still controlled by angels. 

As tempting as the angels are, other demons are more tempting. They’re easier to suction power from, so on the other side of his territory from Johnny, Paimon refocuses his attention on the demons. He wants to weed out some of the weakest supporters of Greed and Envy before starting to attack the angels again, soaking up as much power as he can. 

“That makes sense,” Jacob tells him, looking over at Luna, “but I’m not sure it’s the best plan.”

Luna nods, agreeing with Jacob rather than Paimon which he really doesn’t appreciate. He’s the one in charge here; they should be agreeing with him. “You can’t afford to piss those two off. After Lilith and Abaddon, they’re the most powerful Sins. Even if you attack underlings out of favor, it’s not worth the risk.

“You said it yourself, the goal is Lust, so attack him. As strong as he appears to be, his people are pretty focused on sex and pleasure.” Luna shakes her head at the idea of letting the pursuit of pleasure overtake the need for power. “Send in a few scouts, generate a solid plan, and you can swoop in and take territory, slaves, and power all at once.”

“How long will it take to get to the throne, to his private rooms?” When planning their takeover of Wrath, he worked fairly closely with Lust, Greed, and Envy. That doesn’t mean they showed him their secrets though. 

Seriously? How the Hell is Luna supposed to know that? “My guess, it depends. If we find the secret passageways, not very long. If we don’t, could be days. Fighting our way there will not be easy.”

“Unless we plan for it.” Jacob flips through his notes on various spells he’s found over the years. “We can create weapons to help with a full frontal assault, weapons for mass destruction.” 

Luna scoffs and shakes her head. “Problem is, those weapons aren’t that discriminating, and we’ll probably lose a lot of our people too, and we don’t have enough to just throw soldiers away.”

Paimon hears what they’re saying, but he really doesn’t like it, and there has to be a way around it. “Can you alter the weapons? Can they be set up to attack only certain magical signatures instead of any bodies around it?”

Huh. Jacob hasn’t heard of anything like that before, but he’s got Johnny in the library, and he’d probably love a new project after Maggie showed him up with the power spells. “We can look into it, but there’s no guarantee. Besides, it’d still be better to find passageways.”

“And we could look into spells for that as well.” Luna isn’t the best at research, much better with brute force, but she can recognize the importance of it. “All comes down to what you want to do and how you want to handle it.”

Fuck. Paimon drops back down into his throne, not the most comfortable action ever but whatever. While he wants to just charge ahead, he knows he can’t. He knows he doesn’t have the personal power nor the manpower to do so. 

“Do the research. Try to figure out how to make the large scale weapons specialized. Send in the scouts to plan our assault. Look into figuring out how to find passageways. We’re going to do this, but we’re going to do it smart.”

Jacob shares a look with Luna, surprised by the order. He expected a much harder fight to get those orders. “Yes, sir. We’ll touch base in a week or so?”

Wrath nods, and that’s that. They have their marching orders.

\----------

The demon checks Lust again, making sure his attention is somewhere else before looking internally again. There’s something new happening, something that the demon can’t quite put its finger on. 

There’s more power available, and the demon can’t figure out why. As much as it wants that power, it’s leery of a source it can’t identify. 

It’s clear, so the demon ignores all of the demons around it and focuses on the power. The source appears to be human, the power a little more raw than the power generally found in Hell. It feels like power coming from humans to be fed directly to a demon. 

And that is power that the demon can use. Raw human power generated from the seven sins can be used by any demon that knows how to. Current position aside, the demon is old enough to know how to use that power. There’s no way to catalog the power until it enters a demon, so the demon knows it can steal the power without having to worry about it. 

The more power the demon can stockpile, the sooner it can get out of here. Gaining a position of power among the Sins and their society may be impossible, but there’s always the old pockets of Hell. Show the original demons that you’re one of them, and they’ll leave you alone if you leave them alone. 

After drawing power from the raw source, the demon pushes it as far down as possible. If any excess power is detected, the demon will be killed no matter how much Lust likes to torture it. But that’s enough power for now. The demon can be patient; it has to be. 

Another demon stumbles in the throne room, falling to his knees and creating a disturbance. Lust watches him struggle back to his feet. “Well?”

“Our spies have returned. Apparently Wrath is planning to attack us. He sees us as a weak point in Hell,” the demon reports. 

“And just a few months ago, you said he was going to attack Sloth for the same reason.” Lust snorts and gestures for two of his minions to join him at his feet. They approach and start undoing his pants to get at his crotch. 

“But this time he’s called in just two people to start planning, much less chaotic than letting all of the generals make plans,” the demon argues, “and they’ve got plans for magical weapons. I think this one’s actually legit.”

“You think?” Lust seems more focused on the two demons giving him a blowjob than the report, and the demon at his feet smirks. No wonder Wrath sees him as a weak point. He can’t even keep it in his pants when he’s getting a report. 

“Well, until you know, it doesn’t matter.” Lust pauses to groan, guiding the head of the woman. “So fuck off until you know more.” 

Harry frowns, not happy with being ignored. Three of the six men he sent out were killed, and Lust’s ignoring the information they brought back. Well, if he gets his ass kicked, it’s not Harry’s problem. He’s done his job. Guess he can go get his own blow job now. 

The demon watches him leave while the blowjob spreads to become yet another orgy in the throne room. It’s ridiculous, but at least it generates more power for the demon to absorb. It needs every bit it can get. 


	68. Chapter 68

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience this week, waiting for both chapters at the end of the week. Time to visit Hell again, but this time with the good guys.

Sam drops his head down on the book once again. All of the answers are there in front of him, but he still can’t figure it out. To be fair, he’s a little distracted. Last night was amazing, and Sam still feels the echoes of pleasure in his blood. 

He gives into the distraction to avoid the frustration. Sam heads over to the section of books related to sex and relationship, crouching down to study the titles. Even after their talking, he still feels nervous about what he can do to make Gabe feel good. 

Hand jobs have worked so far, and last night, frottage was phenomenal. Each time Sam asks Gabe what the next step is, he keeps waiting to hear that it’s oral sex. So far, Gabe hasn’t brought it up, but it’ll come up eventually. Neither one of them is asexual, meaning it's a part of their relationship.

So Sam pulls a book out and starts looking for tips on oral sex. The first thing he learns is that gagging generally isn’t attractive, and vomiting never is. Curious, Sam sticks his fingers as far down his throat as possible. It feels a little weird, but he doesn’t feel like throwing up, so he figures that’s a good sign. 

The other thing seems to be focusing on more than just the dick. Balls are highly sensitive as well, and the skin just behind them too. Apparently a little pressure goes a long way, even external pressure. 

Sam keeps reading, taking notes on pages he spells so that only he can read them. By the time he finishes the third book, the tips all sound the same, and he wonders if maybe he has too much theory and advice now. With so many words in his head, so much to remember, how’s he supposed to actually focus on Gabe?

Footsteps pull Sam out of his thoughts of how to get some practice without needing another person, and he scrambles to get the books put away. As the last one slides back onto the shelf, Sam looks up to see Gabe smiling down at him. 

“What are you doing on the floor? Normally you lecture people about not taking proper care of books,” Gabriel teases his mate, “and using them on the floor doesn’t qualify.”

A deep blush covers Sam’s face as he tries for a nonchalant shrug. “Didn’t feel like getting up. I was comfortable enough down here. No point in getting up if it’s another dead end.”

Gabriel grimaces at the frustration in Sam’s voice and on his face. “We’ll figure it out eventually. Put aside all the rules of magic that you know. Based on all the research you’ve done, what do you think it does?”

“I think it’s supposed to send magic to Hell for whoever’s written into the symbol.” Sam’s words slow down as he sits up straighter, eyes brightening with an idea. “Maybe  _ that’s  _ what those symbols are, those little bits of spells that don’t seem to match. Maybe they’re a  _ name _ . And the magic is pulled from the angry people in the prison and sent to a Wrath demon.”

Beautiful. He loves it when Sam figures something out. The way he and his whole body light up with enthusiasm for the next step. Sam hops up and heads for the table, Gabriel right behind him. 

“But why would a Wrath demon need more power? Why only one? And why from Earth, not Hell? Does only one demon mean it’s Wrath who needs more power?” Sam starts flipping through pages of a book. “Here, this one.” 

Gabriel looks over his shoulder, crowding close to Sam’s back before he realizes that he can’t see over his shoulder. So he ducks under Sam’s arm instead, staying close to him. The symbol looks remarkably similar to what they saw at the prison. 

“That’s a lot of questions though,” Gabriel says, although he definitely agrees with Sam’s explanation of what the symbol means. “And they seem a little beyond your research capabilities.”

“Would Lucifer maybe have the answers?” Sam still flips through the book as if it might have some answers. “We could always go down to Hell and ask him.”

Gabriel looks at the side of Sam’s head wondering what exactly is going on in there. He’s missing something if Sam wants to go to Hell. “We could. They’ll probably love to see us, but are you sure that you want to go back down to Hell?”

After what happened last time Sam was in Hell, Gabriel really doesn’t want to expose him to more memories. 

Sam hesitates, fingers pausing between the pages. He doesn’t really want to smell sulfur again or risk any more memories, but Hell is a part of his life. His brother works there and will live there sometimes. Other members of his family do too. He can’t really avoid it forever, can he?

“No, I don’t really want to go, but that’s life. They’re so busy down there that it’s not fair to ask them to come back up here just for dinner and maybe some questions.” Besides, he wants to ask Dean some personal questions sooner rather than later, and it’ll happen sooner if they go to Hell. 

“You still have what you need for that spell to reduce the scent of sulfur, right?” Gabe might go along with his plan, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still going to try and protect Sam. He doesn’t always need it, but Sam still appreciates it. 

Sam closes the book, grabbing all of his notes for later. “It’s tied to a chain that’s upstairs. A quick stop to grab it then tell the others that we’re leaving, and we can go. It’s a work dinner, so we can just pop down tonight, right?”

He needs to ask Dean those questions. 

Gabe raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything while nodding. “I’ll go notify the guards, check in with them on the new wards, too. Meet you at the front door?”

“Meet you at the front door.” Sam leans in to press a kiss against Gabe’s cheek, breathing in his scent before heading away. It’s not as strong as it was last night, but still amazing. He smiles to himself while heading to his room. 

He’s really starting to like this whole mates with a physical relationship thing. 

\----------

Lucifer stares at the weapon as if he can glare it into doing what he wants it to do. Although the weapon hasn’t been used in centuries if not millennia, the power still rests inside. He wants to tap into it, but he needs to change the focus of the magic first. 

He remembers creating these weapons. He was so mad at his Father, taking it out on the angels. The more he could kill at once, the better. But he created these weapons, and he created the demons he now wants to attack, so Lucifer should be able to do this. 

But he can’t. “Fuck!” He shoves his hands through a stack of papers, knocking them to the floor. He braces his hands on the table, head hanging low between his shoulders. How the Hell is he supposed to start making up for the shit he’s done if he can’t even figure out a weapon?

“Was that necessary?” His head snaps up to see Michael lounging in the doorway. “Scattering your notes won’t help anything.”

“And neither will making them, apparently.” Lucifer lets his head hang again. “I made the damn thing, so I should be able to change the damn thing.”

Michael’s hand comes to rest between his shoulder blades, warm and soothing. “But the weapon has had centuries to become its own thing. It can’t be the same weapon you created. Just using it will change it.”

That all makes sense, but that doesn't mean Lucifer wants to hear it. “And of course a lot of those changes were after I left Hell, so I’m not as familiar with them as I could be.” He hesitates, not sure how to say the rest. 

There’s a rustle of wings before he’s enclosed by his mate’s wings. “But you know how to analyze those types of changes, so what’s really bothering you?”

He sighs. “To check those changes, you generally have to submerge yourself in the magic. If I do that, I’m at risk of being tainted by the magic. To really understand something, you generally have to let it become a part of you. I’m not sure the chance of using the weapon is worth the risk.”

What to say? Michael agrees that there’s a potential risk, but he doesn’t think it’s as high as Lucifer does. He doesn’t want to downplay his mate’s concerns, but he also wants to push him to do something that will give him a sense of accomplishment, something that will give him the confidence to keep helping out. 

“What if I stay here with you? I know your magic, and I would notice if your magic became too Hellish.” As his mate, Michael can wrap his magic around his mate’s magic, cutting him off from the magic of the weapon and any negative influence as well. “Nothing says that you have to do this alone.”

“Do you have time for that?” Lucifer turns around so he can hug his mate while talking. He misses doing magic with his mate, something they used to do as kids, before he was stupid enough to run away to Hell. 

“For you, I have enough time.” Generally his job involves planning and strategizing, overseeing things, so he can take some time to help. Unless they have an attack soon, Michael has plenty of time.

And he’d make it for his mate regardless.

“Alright.” Lucifer stands up and shakes his head to clear it as Michael pulls his wings back. “I’ve been focusing on the targeting portion of the weapon, hoping to unravel the spell to redo it to focus on demons instead of angels.”

Michael cocks his head while thinking it through. “Undoing magic isn’t easy though, especially not magic that old. Is there some kind of reversal you can do instead, swapping two parts of the weapon’s magic instead of an outright change?”

Lucifer runs his fingers through the spells on the weapon, trying to see if there’s anything heavily focused on demons. Perfect. “The spells _have_ changed since I charmed them, designed for only demons to use.” 

Probably didn’t want any angels to be able to wield the weapon in case it fell into their hands. Unfortunately, that’s given Lucifer the out that he needs. “If we can swap the target, angels, with the permissive users, demons, we should be able to utilize the weapon.”

Nodding along with his mate, Michael pulls out a knife. “Do you know enough to start working on that now, or do you need to research again with the new focus?”

Well… “I’d like to say that I can jump right into it, but no. Not only do we have to change the position of two large parts of the spell, we still need to figure out the specifics of the spell and changes wrought by time. I need at least another day of research, if not two.”

He takes another moment to study the magic in the weapon. “How active of a role are you willing to take in this?”

Michael hesitates. “What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to move the portion of the spell related to the angels.” With magic as old as this, it takes on a life on its own, almost a physical set of words and magic rather than a written spell that can just be erased and rewritten. “You have a strong connection to angels, so you should be able to move that part.”

“And at the same time, you’ll move the part related to the demons.” It makes sense, each one of them moving one part of the spell instead of two. Less for them to focus on, makes it easier to succeed. “Alright. We’ll have to do the research together. I have to know this magic as well as you do.”

Lucifer nods. “Then let’s get started. The sooner we can get through this, the sooner we can decide how to strategize. Having this weapon or not is a huge variable.”

Michael starts picking up the papers on the ground, scanning them as he goes. “Where do we start?”


	69. Chapter 69

Hours later, Michael shakes his head as he pushes the papers away from him. This is ridiculous. “How have you figured all of this out? I know you created these spells, but with the time span and your time out of Hell, it should take a serious researcher to figure this out. You’re a lot smarter than you make yourself out to be.”

His mate shrugs, looking modest, and Michael’s pretty sure it’s not fake. “It’s just practice. I know how to look through the spell to find the parts I’m looking for. And when I created the demons, I was working within a template already created. I’m used to working with magic warped by time. It’s just experience.”

“It’s not just experience; it’s brilliance too.” No more downplaying his abilities. Michael wants to see his mate proud of what he can do and what he has done. He leans in to give Lucifer a quick kiss. “So, are you ready to do this tomorrow? I don’t think we have enough time to do it today, and we need to eat dinner first.”

“Dinner’s a great idea!” Both angels turn to look at the little demon in the doorway. “We’ve got company,” Dean announces with a big grin. 

“Company?” That normally refers to a demon attack, but Lucifer doubts it since Dean has a massive grin on his face. 

“Sam and Gabe!” He actually does a little jump as he claps his hands. “They said that they have business to talk, but they also want to spend some time with us.” Dean pauses for a moment. “I don’t know if they’ll spend the night though, Sam looks uncomfortable, so we might have to talk shop over dinner.”

“If we have to, we will,” Michael tells him while standing up and pulling Lucifer up next to him. “At least we have a chance to see them.” It never used to bother him, long stretches in Hell since he could see Lucifer in Heaven whenever he wanted. With more family ties that he cares about, the stretches in Hell are a little more irritating. 

“Good point!” Dean perks back up again and heads out of the room likely for the kitchen. 

“Shall we?” Lucifer smiles at his mate, relaxed at the idea of spending some time with his family instead of working. 

Michael takes his arm, and Lucifer leads his mate to the kitchen where Gabe smirks at him and Sam smiles. It’s nice to see family again. “How are things going in the shelter?” he asks once Gabriel crosses the room. 

“Pretty well. Still just human residents,” Gabriel reports, “but we don’t know when that might change. It might be easier if there was a demon around who we could introduce to the shelter in a controlled manner, but we’ll see.”

“What would you think about taking a prisoner?” Michael asks with a little shrug. “Well, an ex prisoner. She took the option of wing removal and binding her magic to be released on Earth. Just because she was a prisoner doesn’t mean we can’t offer her help.”

Gabriel thinks about it for a moment. He doesn’t really want to help a demon held prisoner by angels, the point was to help those tortured by demons. Then again, if angels really are more moral than demons, perhaps they should help prisoners. 

“The final decision isn’t mine. It’s Sam’s shelter, so he has final say. As long as we keep her magic bound, I don’t see why there’d be an issue.” He’d have to get used to it, but Gabriel thinks he could get used to the idea. Sam and Dean can’t be the only decent demons out there. 

“What’s my final decision?” Sam wraps his arms around Gabriel’s arm and looks up at Lucifer and Michael. That’s when Michael realizes that Sam is now taller than Gabriel. He’s not sure if that surprises him or not, but then again, he doesn’t spend too much time thinking about what his brother wants in a mate, physically speaking. 

Michael refocuses on the topic at hand. “How invested are you in helping demons at the shelter? We can give you the information on a demon prisoner we released on Earth who could likely use your help. Her magic was bound, and I doubt she has any experience living as a human.”

Sam thinks about it while shifting to rest his chin on Gabe’s shoulder. He likes being able to do that, and it might be kind of cool to be able to rest his chin on top of his head. “I don’t necessarily mind, but I’m not sure we want demons around right now.”

“Oh?” Lucifer raises an eyebrow, half at the statement and half at how the mates are wrapped up in each other. Sam has his arms wrapped tight around Gabe now. Just how close have they gotten? He hopes it’s close enough that they’re happy with the progress in their relationship. 

The two mates share a look before Sam sighs. “We’ve felt eyes on us recently, Nathan too. He’s the handyman,” Sam adds probably in response to the confusion Michael can feel on his face. “And we found a demonic spell at the nearest jail. Not sure we really want more demons at the moment.”

“A demon around might actually help.” Everyone focuses on Lucifer. “If she’s been around long enough, she’ll know what cloaking spells will feel like, something she can sense even with her magic bound. She might be good help with security.”

Gabriel considers that. “If she’s willing to help us. I’m not sure she wants to help the same people who took away her freedom.”

“She wanted to come with us,” Michael tells him, still surprised by the memory. “Sure, she didn’t like her choices after talking to us, but we only took her because she asked us to.”

Thinking about it, Sam shrugs. “Why not? Gabe and I can talk to her once you tell us how to find her and we have a free moment. With her magic bound, we should be able to handle her even if she gets uppity.” He’ll take anything he can get right now to make sure nothing happens to the shelter. 

“We’ll get you the information before you head out,” Michael promises. “But before that happens, are you hungry? Dinner’s on us?”

Sam laughs while turning around, taking Gabriel with him. “We didn’t eat before coming because we wanted to eat with you. Where’s Castiel?”

“Probably training with part of the garrison. He’s been busy for a few days, but he always makes time for dinner.” Lucifer isn’t entirely sure he would if Dean wasn’t down here, but that’s the life of a warrior. Eat when you can and focus on training as much as possible. 

Well, they missed out on that family dinner that Gabe tried to plan for him, so Sam hopes that it works tonight. Better in Hell than not at all. “Are things going well down here?”

“Well enough. We kicked Wrath’s ass with my plan,” Dean boasts, sitting up super straight and looking really proud of himself. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure it’d work no matter how optimistic everyone else was.”

“You’re really smart,” Sam tells his brother, bumping shoulders with him. “No, you’re not book smart the way I am, but that doesn’t negate your abilities in other areas.” 

Dean smiles and twists to hug his brother, glad to see him after a while. “Thanks. It was pretty cool though, being right.” He frowns a little. “The injuries to the angels suck, but at least we won this battle.”

“If only winning the war was so easy.” Castiel scoops up his mate to place him in his lap as he sits on the bench at the table. Dean twists to kiss him on the cheek with a huge smile. It’s only been a few hours, but he loves his mate’s enthusiasm at seeing him again. 

“You’ll get there eventually, right?” Gabriel smiles at his brothers. “Hey, you already got one Sin to make a deal with you, and I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out how to get to the rest of them too.”

“Except Lilith.” Lucifer sneers while thinking of old memories. “She won’t bow to anyone unless she’s made to, and I’m not sure we have that power. I only did it when I had the full power of Hell behind me. Even with my renewed connection to Hell, I don’t think we can do that again.”

No one says anything after that, not really sure what to say. “Well, six out of seven is better than the part of one we have now,” Michael reminds him, reminds them all. “And I know you’re here to talk work, but it’d be nice to put that off until after dinner. A family dinner would be much nicer than a working dinner.”

“Yeah, a family dinner sounds nice.” Dean turns to his brother with a big smile. “How’s the shelter? I know that’s work, but that’s your life too. Tell us about the residents.”

Sam isn’t sure where to start, but when he sees a couple, a male and a female angel, walk into the kitchen. “Have I mentioned Paloma to you all?” 

“The lady who gave me my tattoo?” Dean puts out his arm and lets his cat tattoo walk around his lower arm and wrist. “I liked her, and I’m thinking about getting another one.”

Castiel shakes his head at his mate, putting a hand over his mouth. The little minx licks him, but he doesn’t remove his hand. “We are not getting matching tattoos no matter how many time you flash a little pout at me.”

He does not want anything on his skin permanently even if it’s for his mate. He’d wear jewelry for his mate, or a specific article of clothing, but there’s something about permanence that bothers him. He’s probably just seen too many things change in his life, even things he thought could never change. 

Not so sure his brother can hold out that long, Gabriel just smirks at him. “Well, the man she likes finally made a move after she gave him plenty of hints, so she’s a little happier at the moment. I bet they’re married within the year.”

“Not all humans get married,” Lucifer counters, in part to be contrary and in part because he’s not so sure. “She’s a witch, and humans who perform magic don’t seem to find religious ceremonies to be as important.”

“But Nathan’s American,” Sam argues back, “and they tend to be a little more traditional. Even people in relationships like ours, two men rather than a man and a woman, they try to marry as a sign of their affection and love.”

He’s been watching the news while at the shelter, the only thing he bothers to watch on the television. The residents love it, but he much prefers books, and he has his own library card. At least the news give him an idea of what’s happening even if it’s full of opinions along with the facts of events. 

“They don’t have soulmates,” Michael reminds everyone even as angels appear with large trays of food. Looks like roasted lamb and a mixture of vegetables. Hearty food for soldiers. “Marriage is the easiest way for them to declare their commitment to each other. I bet they marry.”

Michael’s a bit of a romantic and is honest enough to admit it. After all the shit he and Lucifer went through to get their happy ending, their time together, he knows that love is worth it. While not everyone will fall in love, not everyone will have a lifelong love, he hopes that everyone at least has a chance for it. 

They all banter back and forth with smiles on their faces as they eat dinner, the conversation moving on to hopes for plans for a vacation once Wrath settles down. Dean wants to go back to the private island, but no one actually promises anything since no one knows if they’ll be able to make it. No one can predict how long Wrath will be a problem, not even Lucifer.


	70. Chapter 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 14 hours later, in Billings Montana on the way to Cincinnati Ohio. Sitting around all day is exhausting.

Eventually they have to finish dinner and find a place to discuss work. Sam follows Dean out of the kitchen before the angels leave, and he takes his chance. “Can I ask you some questions, some personal ones?” He’s taller than his brother, but ducking his head and feeling nervous makes him feel much smaller.

Dean looks at his brother, curious about what could make him so nervous. “Sure. Here,” he slides the door open, “these are Cas and my rooms. No one can get in except people we let in, so it’s super private.”

Sam follows him and sits on the bed where Dean gestures then just sits there. Dean wants to break the silence but doesn’t because this is Sam’s conversation, not his. He can be patient for his brother. 

“How do you feel so confident?” Sam finally speaks up although still looking at his knees. “How does it not bother you that Castiel has had sex with other people?”

Dean stares at his brother, not really sure what to say. To be honest, he’s never really thought about it. “He’s my mate. I’m his. No matter how good any sex was before me, it’ll never be better than what we have because we have something more than just the physical.” It’s as simple as that now that he thinks about it. 

Oh. Sam stares at his brother because he’s never thought about it that way. “Okay. So lack of experience doesn’t really matter?”

“Gabe probably loves the fact that you don’t know anything, that he can teach you everything.” Dean scoots closer to his brother and puts his arm around his shoulders. “Besides, not that you’d want to, but I bet if you asked him about other people, he wouldn’t be able to tell you much. He still has sexual knowledge but not the specifics about individuals.”

Sam frowns over at Dean, clearly confused. “What do you mean?”

“Not many of the angels are virgins when they meet their mates. Having sex is actually a great way to recognize your mate,” Dean tells him. “So your bond acts to dull memories of prior lovers so it can’t become an issue between mates.”

Oh. That makes sense. “So it’s more about us being mates than anything else? He won’t compare me to anyone else because he won’t be able to?” Sam isn’t entirely sure how he feels about that because there’s a difference between not doing something because you don’t want to and not doing it because you can’t.

“More like he won’t compare you because he already knows that it’ll be better with you. There’s no point in comparing you to others. Sure, it’ll take time for you to become comfortable sexually, but his love for you will make up for your learning curve.” Dean smirks at his brother, glad to see that he’s starting to look a little more relaxed. “I’m sure you’ll learn how to be amazing at sex in no time.”

Sam smiles at that because his brother has a good point. He’s already started his research and some… practical training. “Any tips on how to get better without needing a person?” He vaguely remembers Gabe wanting to buy things for sex when visiting Earth, but he didn’t ask too much back then. 

“Yeah, there are toys you can get, things called dildos that are fake rubber or plastic cocks. You can try all sorts of things with them.” Dean gives a little shrug. “Vibrators are pretty cool too, but angels can move fast enough that you don’t really need them.”

Why would he want something that vibrates? That hasn’t come up in his research. “Why would you want that? And why would you need that if Castiel can do it for you?”

“Well, Cas isn’t always around,” Dean reminds Sam, although it’s a lot better now that he has permission to be in Hell, “and sometimes he can’t focus well enough to do that. I can get you some that I haven’t used yet, and you can try new things.”

Sam takes a moment to think about it, but there really isn’t any question. He isn’t so sure about the vibrator, but the dildo sounds like a good idea. He wants to learn how to use his mouth on Gabe, and that’ll give him practice. “Yes, please. Not too big, though.”

“Gabe’s not that big?” Dean wiggles his eyebrows and gets elbowed in the side for it. 

“I have to start somewhere,” Sam argues back, “and I can always make it bigger once I know what I’m doing.”

“Lots and lots bigger,” Dean teases with an even more dramatic wiggle of his eyebrows. Sam elbows him again, and they fall back on the bed laughing as the door opens for Castiel and his brothers. 

“I’m not sure I want to know,” Michael decides as they watch the two boys roll around. 

Dean lets out a shriek of laughter even higher while holding up his thumb and forefinger up in the air. It makes Sam let out a shriek of his own, and the angels are left still staring at them. After several moments, Castiel crosses the room and scoops up his mate, putting Dean’s hand over his heart to try and calm him down. 

Gabriel does the same for Sam who manages to regain his composure faster than his brother. “What was that about?”

Sam shrugs a little with a small smile still on his face. “Just something between brothers. It’d lose something in the retelling.”

“Alright.” Let him have his little secrets; no problem for Gabriel. “How long before he manages to pull himself together?”

“I don’t know. Just don’t say anything sexual or intentionally funny.” Sam isn’t exactly ashamed of their conversation, but he really does hope that Dean keeps quiet about their conversation. He trusts his brother, so he’s not really too worried.

Several deep breaths later, Dean has calmed down and rests his head on Castiel’s shoulder, hiding his face a little. He still has the small occasional snicker slipping past his lips, but everyone else ignores him. 

“So, what did you want to discuss?” Lucifer asks, leaning against his mate. If the others can snuggle, so can he and Mikey. 

“We found a symbol on the wall of a prison,” Sam begins before launching into an explanation of what they saw and what they think it means. “But just because we figured out what it means doesn’t mean we know why they’re doing it. Any ideas?”

Michael shrugs, unfamiliar with that type of magic. “Things have been a little quiet from Wrath over the last few days. Generally we’re dealing with daily attacks, so I’m not sure what’s going on. Perhaps he’s trying to get additional energy before an attack.”

Lucifer shakes his head. “I doubt it. Based on the spell you’ve described, it won’t give him that much of an energy boost. They’ll need to add several additional spells to increase the potency of power coming directly from a human.”

“Well, he’s definitely planning something. Better to grab external power than to take it from his nobles, and slaves are needed as troops.” Castiel checks on Dean to make sure that he can pay attention to the conversation. “Question is, does he want to attack us or other demons, and is he going to get more power?”

“Well, the spell can be added to,” Lucifer tells them, “and they can link several of those spells together to increase the power coming into the recipient demon. This is old magic though, something that hasn’t been done in millennia.”

“Maybe that’s why it’s such a low level,” Sam offers, thinking through how he’d do it. “If they aren’t sure about the spell, perhaps they’ve started with a low level of power to feed to a weak demon or a slave that they can easily monitor to make sure there aren’t any side effects to the spell. That’s how I’d do it.”

“You really think they’d give a slave extra power?” Dean manages to look up at his family, laughter finally contained. Dealing with demons is not funny. 

“They monitor their slaves and keep their powers bound,” Michael reminds them all, “and even if they prohibit output of power, they can still monitor incoming power.” 

“That’s how I’d do it,” Sam repeats, shifting to pull Gabe closer to his side. He kind of wishes he could sit in Gabe’s lap like Dean does with Castiel, but sitting side by side is good enough. Maybe he’ll eventually grow tall enough that Gabe can sit in his lap. 

“If Wrath is ramping up to something,” Lucifer declares, “then we need to figure it out as soon as possible. We need to know if he’s going to attack us. If he’s going after another Sin, that’s destabilizing, but better than attacking us.”

Castiel shakes his head at the idea of the bloodshed from Wrath continuing to attack them. “How do we figure that out though? We don’t have a spy in his portion of Hell, and we could never get on there anyway.”

“Then we prepare for both,” Michael declares. “Lucifer and I are working with old weapons trying to turn them into weapons of mass destruction against the demons.”

“That will help us,” Dean says, nervous for his brother now, “but what about the shelter? Even if we get those weapons to work, you can’t use them on Earth.”

“Is there any way we can mess with that spell?” Gabriel looks over at Lucifer, the apparent expert on the magic. 

“Yes, but no. If you mess with things too much, they’ll know, and we’ll lose our connection. You have to be subtle. You can’t cut off the power source, but you can taint the power.” Lucifer tries to figure out how to explain it. 

Sam frowns, trying to think it through as well. “Can we monitor it? Anyone who takes the power, we can track them? At least that will tell us where Wrath is going.”

“You can do that. I’ll pull up some old papers for you, give you a spell that should slip through unnoticed.” It’ll take him a moment to find that spell, those old papers, but he can find them. “We’ll just need you to feed us the information on Wrath’s whereabouts.”

“We can definitely do that,” Sam assures him. Tracking Wrath isn’t going to do too much for them, but it’s better than nothing. “What about an end to the spell?”

Michael narrows his eyes at the boy. “What do you mean, an end?”

“Is there a way we can pull the trigger on it, make it so that one word or one spell will cut the power flowing to Wrath?” Sam wants to  _ do  _ something now that they know about the magic, doesn’t want to just let it sit there. 

Lucifer has to think about it for a moment. “Theoretically, yes, but we’d have to look into it. Whatever you put in there has to be subtle enough that it has no effect until you want it to.”

“What about magic like slave bonds? They can use magic, but once they use too much magic, they’re shut down.” Castiel looks at the others, trying to figure out what they think by their expressions. “Can you put something that will monitor the magic and then cut off when you decide? I doubt they’d notice that since there’s so much slave magic around them all the time.”

“That’s great,” Sam says, looking around for some paper, glad to find it on the table. “What about something like this?”

Sam researched binding magic for the binds he had to wear when going down to Earth. He knows demonic binding spells and knows them well. Rewriting one to match the older tradition of magic isn’t too hard. 

Lucifer studies the spell for a moment then nods. “You’ll have to put this in the section dedicated to transferring the power from Earth to the demon. Anywhere else and it won’t be powerful enough.”

“I can do that.” Sam studies the spell one more time. “And is there a way to track down other spells like this on Earth, if they put down more?”

Nodding, Lucifer starts running through it with Sam. The others watch for a moment before turning to Michael. “And what are you working on?” Castiel remembers hearing about the weapons, Sigal fetching one of them, but then nothing for awhile.

“We’re working on turning them to target demons,” Michael explains, running through their plan of pushing and pulling the magic to flip it. “No idea if it’ll work, but it seems theoretically possible.”

“You just have to test the practical,” Gabriel sums up. They talk about various strategies until Lucifer and Sam finish up their conversation regarding the location spells. 

“Don’t be strangers,” Dean tells his brother as they hug. “I want to see you as often as possible, okay?”

Sam nods. “Thanks for the advice,” he whispers, just loud enough for his brother to hear. Dean smirks but doesn’t say anything as Gabe take his hand to lead them back up to Earth. As they head inside the shelter, Sam takes a deep breath. 

Here goes everything. 


	71. Chapter 71

They head up straight to Sam’s room, Gabriel hoping that he’ll be allowed to stay again. He really hopes that he’ll get a chance to get his hands on Sam again, but he won’t push. Gabriel wants to push so much, wants his hands on his mate every night, but he doesn’t know how to say it without feeling bad. 

“What’s wrong?” Gabriel looks over at the bed after the question just in time to see a flash of Sam’s ass before he pulls the sheets up. “You aren’t normally this quiet when we’re in private.”

Gabriel sighs and sits on the edge of the bed to pull off his shoes and the rest of his clothes. He doubts Sam will say no to sleeping naked. “I want to say something, but I’m not sure if I should say it, and I don’t know how to say it if I do.” 

“Well,” Sam wraps his arms around Gabriel from behind as he stays on the edge of the bed, “Hodah suggested that I talk more. Maybe you should talk more too. I’ll listen to everything you say in full before commenting.”

Here goes nothing. “I want you, more that what we’ve been doing. But I feel wrong asking for more, not with what you’ve been through.”

Sam closes his eyes, resting his forehead in the crook of Gabe’s neck, in the crook of  _ his mate’s  _ neck. “This isn’t just about me. I appreciate it, I really do, but this is about _both_ of us. Thank you for speaking up.” He doesn’t want his concerns to cause problems for his mate. 

“Are you comfortable doing more?” Gabe’s body is rigid beneath Sam’s, all the nerves in him for the moment. 

“Yes.” If Gabe can talk, so can Sam. “I talked to Dean after dinner. I’ve been so worried about comparisons, that you’d find me lacking compared to others. Dean told me that you wouldn’t remember them though, that our bond wouldn’t let you.”

Gabriel thinks about it for a moment and realizes that that’s right. While he knows what he likes, he knows how to make his mate feel good, Gabriel can’t picture any faces. “Does that make you more comfortable with me, sexually?”

“Yes.” Sam moves around his mate to straddle his lap with a big smile. “I won't be compared to anyone, and that gives me confidence.” He’s starting to like this honesty thing, especially when it puts a smile on Gabe’s face. “You can be my teacher.”

There’s a moment of silence, then Gabe starts laughing, falling back on the bed and taking Sam with him. “I can definitely be your teacher.” He wiggles his eyebrows to give it a silly look. Sam laughs with him while resting his head on his chest. “What do you want to start with? And do you want to start tonight?”

He talked it through with Dean, and they were just being really honest, but Sam finds the words sticking in his mouth. “Um…” Stuck, he gestures at his mouth then at Gabe’s crotch. Not exactly elegant, but it should get the point across.

Gabe laughs a little but clearly isn’t laughing at Sam, so it’s alright. “Alright. Do you want me to sit, stand, or lie down?”

Sam blinks, not sure what to say. Sure, he understands some of the mechanics behind it, but he didn’t think about that. “What’s your preference?”

Gabriel wants this to be about whatever will make it easier for Sam, but he also recognizes when he needs help. Sitting or lying down would probably be best, but sitting means Sam has to kneel which could hurt his knees. 

“Here.” Gabriel picks Sam off of his lap and lies down once Sam stands. He’s not fully hard yet, but it won’t be long before he is.

Sam climbs up onto the bed and looks down at Gabriel with a small smile. He sinks to his knees, graceful with each movement as he starts crawling closer to Gabriel. Cocking his head, he studies his body for a moment before reaching out to run a finger up his inner thigh. 

The touch barely registers to Gabriel, but the softness has a power of its own. His senses reach out, trying to get as much contact as possible from his mate. Sam shifts to trace the veins in Gabriel’s left thigh. 

“Shit,” he breaths out, head falling back on the pillow. It’s a few touches, soft and gentle, yet still powerful. When Sam traces the vein on the underside of his cock, Gabriel shoots to full hardness in seconds. “How are you doing this?”

There’s power in his touches, more than just it being Sam’s finger rather than a stranger’s. No touch has ever felt this intense before. 

“Love.” Sam draws circles in the creases of his thighs, brushes against his balls. “If I focus on just how much I love you, I can make you feel it.”

So that’s what love feels like, at least right now. Heat and sparks pressing against his skin. “Feels amazing, Sam. So, really good.”

Sam can’t help the smile on his face, glad to see the effect on his mate. He had doubts before, but he doesn’t have any now. This is clearly something new to Gabe, only something he can do for him. 

Confidence higher, he shifts up onto his knees, face coming closer to Gabe’s dick. He’s touched it, played with it, knows it, but there’s something about getting his mouth on it that makes it seem that much bigger. Sam takes a deep breath but doesn’t know where to start. 

“Lick it,” Gabriel tells him, sensing the hesitation. “Start small.”

Sam nods and sticks out his tongue to lick up the side of his cock. Gabriel gets a flashback to when he planted charmed lollipops around to play with him. 

This is a lot more fun. 

The first few licks are soft and tentative, but it’s not long before Sam becomes more confident. The licks come more often, linger longer, cover more skin. Gabriel fists his hands in the sheets, trying not to cum too soon. A few licks here and there won’t be enough, but it’s going to get pretty damn close. 

As Sam focuses on Gabe’s body, he leans closer to nuzzle the soft curls at the base of his cock. He can smell Gabe even more there, and he likes that scent, could smell it and only it for the rest of his life. Sam kisses him there then pulls back so that his mouth is right at the head of Gabe’s cock. 

Here goes nothing. 

Opening his mouth, Sam tries to remember all of the tips, covering his teeth, using his hand, not forgetting the balls, and proceeds to choke in seconds. There’s a small laugh above him as a hand comes down to hold his cheek. 

“Slow and steady, Sam. You can’t take it all your first time, and I’m not expecting that.” Sam isn’t surprised to hear that, but it’s still nice to hear the words. “Just do what you can because it’s practice. You’ll be able to get it all eventually.”

Sam nods and focuses on just the head. He knows from his own body that that’s the most sensitive, so perhaps that’s really all he needs to do tonight. Taking a deep breath, he sucks on the head, precum pooling in his mouth. 

Oh, shit. Maybe he shouldn’t have told Sam what to do. He wanted this to last a little longer, but Gabriel has a feeling it isn’t going to last very long at all. “Like that, Sam, just like that.”

He gets a little thumbs up in response right before Sam sucks on the head again. Fuck. Gabriel throws an arm over his eyes as he tries to function through the pleasure. His hips roll up from the bed, but he does his best to stifle the reaction, not wanting to choke Sam. 

The hip roll gets to him, but Sam was pulling up at the time anyway, so it’s fine. He breathes through his nose before sucking again, trying to get more precum. He likes the way it tastes, likes the proof that he’s making Gabe feel good. 

Sam keeps sucking, comfortable with the action now, and starts adding his hand. He strokes up and down, squeezing when he’s not sucking. Gabe lets out cries and whimpers with each action, and Sam focuses on getting even more. 

He learns to move with the roll of Gabe’s hips and realizes that his hips are moving the same way. His rhythm stutters for a moment, his pleasure a little too strong, but Sam gets back on track. After a moment, he realizes that Gabe’s getting harder, something he didn’t even think was possible. 

“Close, so close, Sam.” Gabriel tries to pull himself together enough to warn to him. “Going to cum, make a mess.” He can feel it all through his body, like Sam’s touching him everywhere. The little sparks of love make his cock feel that much better. 

Sam tries to push away his arousal long enough to finish off Gabe. A hand lands in his hair, making Sam stiffen up until he realizes that it’s just resting there. He can still move where he wants, up and down on Gabe’s cock, nothing hindering him. 

He moves his hand, squeezing one last time, and Gabe lets out a shout. Cum floods his mouth, and Sam jerks back and closes his eyes. Just in time too, more cum splashing against his face. Gabe moans and cries out the whole time, and Sam keeps his eyes closed until his mate falls silent. 

When he opens his eyes, Sam sees Gabe more relaxed than he’s ever seen him before. A soft smile on his face, heavy look in his eyes. He waves his hand, cleaning Sam’s face, then pulls Sam down to rest on his chest. 

“That was amazing,” Gabriel tells his mate, stroking his hand through his hair. He would love to do that again. 

Sam nods but doesn’t say anything. Gabriel wonders if he said something wrong then realizes what’s pressing against his thigh. That would explain it. 

This isn’t a tit for tat relationship, but Gabriel wants to make Sam feel as amazing as Sam just made him feel. Reaching down with both hands, Gabriel mutters a quick spells to lubricate his hands. 

One hand on his cock, one on his tail, Gabriel starts stroking Sam’s body. Sam whimpers with each pass, hips helping everything along. It doesn’t take long before Sam’s cumming into the sheets, a long drawn out moan leaving his mouth. 

Sam shifts around so that his mouth is closer to Gabriel’s ear. “Felt amazing. Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Sam.” Gabriel turns his head to kiss his check. “You feel a little better about trying new things with me?” He needs to make sure that wasn't too much for his mate.

There’s a moment of quiet, then Sam says, “Yeah, I do. That went a little better than expected, after that first choke.” He pauses, and Gabriel feels his skin heat up, probably a blush. “I definitely want some more practice on it though. I’m sure you’ll be okay with that, right?”

Gabriel laughs and pulls Sam even closer. “Whenever you want. Assuming we’re not too busy, I’ll be here whenever you want to try anything.”

Sam nods and hugs him. “I know that people like sex, so you probably won’t say no to anything I’ll want to try, but if you don’t want to do something, please say so.”

Of course he’d be worried about Gabriel more than himself. “I will speak up if I don’t want to do something, I promise.” 

“Good.” Sam sighs before sitting up and sending a bolt of magic to the light switch, turning off the light. He’s not entirely sure how he feels about what happened. It was amazing, yes, but he didn’t do as well as he wanted to. He needs practice to be as good as he wants to be and it sucks not being amazing at something right away like he is with most things. 

At least the practice will be awesome. 


	72. Chapter 72

The sun wakes them up, Sam blinking his eyes unhappy as Gabriel puts his hand up to block the light for a moment. As wonderful as sunlight can be, it’s a pain in the ass this early in the morning. At least they got to bed at a decent hour even with Sam’s explorations. 

“Do we have to get up?” Sam has half a mind to spend the day in bed getting more practice, but he has a shelter to run. It mostly runs itself, but he still likes to be around. 

“Yeah, we do.” Gabriel rolls out of bed with a stretch, ignoring his hard on. He can take care of it in the shower. A hand on his thigh stops him before he can take a step towards the bathroom. 

Sam looks up at him with wide eyes and wandering hands. “Can I take care of that for you? I want more practice, remember?”

Damn, his mate is going to kill him if he keeps going on like that. “Of course.” Yes, magic can get rid of a hard on, but it’s not pleasant magic. “But only if I can reciprocate.”

Eyes widening, Sam nods even as he gets out of bed and kneels at Gabriel’s feet. He runs his hands up and down Gabriel’s thighs before leaning in to press a kiss just to the right of his cock. Gabriel takes a deep breath and braces himself for the pleasure. 

This time, Sam knows that he can’t reach much more than just the head. He also knows that there are multiple parts to the head, multiple things he can do to it, and he wants to try them all. Sam starts by pressing a kiss to the very tip of the head. 

“You smell so good,” he tells Gabe while working out his next act. Sam runs a nail down Gabe’s cock, pressing just enough to make sure that he feels it. As Gabe moans, Sam shifts to scrape his teeth along his cock. 

“Oh shit.” The mix of sensations has Gabriel shaking just a little. And if Sam keep talking? Well, fuck. 

Precum leaks out the head of his cock, and Sam licks it up. “Tastes as good as you smell. I could do this every day, easily.” He sucks the head into his mouth and hums, just to see what will happen. Gabe’s hips jerk, shoving his cock a little deeper into Sam’s mouth. It pushes him to the edge of what he can take, and Sam likes that sensation. 

Dirty talk wasn’t really covered in the book he read, so he hopes that talking about what he feels does it for Gabe. “Do that again, please.” He slides his hands up to Gabe’s ass while sucking his cock again, and Gabe does as requested. 

Gabriel puts a hand on Sam’s head to anchor himself, noticing the minute tensing before Sam relaxes. “You like my cock in your mouth?” Another hum vibrates along his cock saying yes. Gabriel tries to say something else, but he can only moan when Sam starts tonguing his slit. 

Sam tongues his slit over and over, and Gabriel can barely stay on his feet at this point. “So damn good, babe. Just touch my balls, and you’ll make me cum again.”

Long fingers cup then roll his balls, and the combination of obedience and the touch pushes Gabriel over the edge. This time, Sam keeps his mouth on his cock, swallowing every drop. If it was possible, that would have Gabriel hard all over again. 

“Shit.” Plopping down on the bed, Gabriel looks down at his mate and the self satisfied look on his face. “I’m not sure you need to take every inch if you can do that to me every time.” A wave of his hand has Sam flat on the bed a moment later, Gabriel moving over him. “But I’ll show you just how good it can feel.”

Although he has no doubt it’ll feel amazing, Sam still wants to know what it actually feels like. He closes his eyes because he wants to feel things more intensely, but as soon as warm heat engulfs his dick, his eyes fly open again. 

Oh shit, that’s good. Sam doesn’t have the words to compare it to anything, so all he can do is say that it’s amazing, and he doesn’t want it to end. Gabe sucks while moving his head up down, and he’s good enough to use his hand in unison with his mouth. 

“Great, please, more, yes.” Sam realizes that his hips are bucking into Gabe’s mouth, but he can take it. In fact, he keeps taking it, and the head of Sam’s cock ends up in his throat. 

“So fucking good.” Sam throws an arm over his eyes as the sensations become overwhelming. He can feel them throughout his body, something he’s getting used to, and he can’t wait to feel the end. 

Gabriel swallows one more time with Sam’s cock in his throat, and Sam cums with a shout. He swallows every drop with ease, sitting up and licking his lips to make sure he gets every drop. Now that he gets to be with his mate like this, he isn’t going to waste even the smallest part. 

There’s a loopy smile on Sam’s face, arm still covering his eyes. “Amazing. That’s the only word I can think of, but it isn’t really enough.”

“You could always say orgasmic,” Gabriel teases him, shifting to sit next to him. He runs his fingers through Sam’s hair, wanting the contact but not wanting to oversensitize him. 

Sam snickers and pulls his arm back to look up at Gabriel. “Yeah, that might do it.” He sighs, smile a little more settled now. “Time to shower though, right?”

“Time to shower. Time to start the day.” Gabriel wants to spend the whole day in here, just him and his mate in his room, but they can’t. They’re fighting demons, so they have work to do. “You want to shower first?”

He almost asks if they can shower together, but Sam knows that showering together means they’ll just get started all over again. “Yeah, I’ll go shower.” His legs wobble a bit as he walks to the bathroom, but he makes it. 

After he showers, Sam starts dressing. “Hey, what do you want for breakfast? I can start making something while you shower.”

Gabe cocks his head. “Waffles?”

“No problem.” Sam finishes dressing while not looking at Gabe to avoid any distractions. That’s the main reason he offered to make breakfast; if they’re going to work today, he needs to get out of here. 

Gabriel showers as quickly and efficiently as possible. His nerves feel jittery after being so close to his mate then watching him leave. Logically, he knows that Sam isn’t leaving him, but his instincts aren’t quite as logical. 

Down in the kitchen, Gabriel stops and watches Sam laugh with Victoria. Of all the residents, he gets along with her best, and Gabriel wonders if it’s her maternal nature. Or perhaps grandmotherly nature. Either way, he’s glad someone can make Sam laugh like that. 

“And where’s Gabriel this morning?” She bumps hips with Sam who Gabriel just knows is blushing. 

“Um, he was showering when I left.” Sam keeps whisking the batter while turning on the waffle maker. 

“Showering off a night of fun?” Victoria laughs before leaning over to hug Sam. “I don’t blame you. With all the work you put into this place to help us, you deserve some time for yourself. If he makes you happy, and you make him happy, then I’m happy for you.”

Sam smiles at Victoria, some of his embarrassment dying down. “Thanks. I’m just not quite used to being in a relationship yet. It’s not something you can research and prepare for, so it’s taking baby steps to get used to it.” 

“Sex helps.” Victoria laughs when Sam blushes an even deeper red. “Don’t be ashamed. It’s a normal part of any relationship, and with a little bit of time, you’ll become comfortable with each other’s bodies.”

“I’m starting to learn that,” Sam tells her, memories from last night and this morning coming back. It was…  _ orgasmic _ so clearly they’re getting there. 

“And you’re learning quickly,” Gabriel says, entering the room and the conversation. Sam jumps a little, but there’s a light in Victoria’s eyes that indicates she probably knew he was there. 

“Thanks.” Sam’s still blushing, but he leans in to kiss his cheek. “Waffles will be ready pretty soon. We’re a little late this morning, so it’ll probably just be us.”

“Although I wouldn’t put it past Nathan to sniff out the waffles. He’s been talking with Hodah and getting training from several of the angels, so he’s around a little more often now.” Victoria finishes washing the last dish and places it to the side. 

“Then we’ll make sure to have enough if we have visitors,” Sam says even as she heads out. “Although if he’s already eaten, I doubt he’ll be back up before lunch.”

“Well, might as well start eating before we’re interrupted,” Gabriel announces as the waffle maker beeps. They eat together without conversation, but pick it up again while doing the dishes. 

“We should start working on altering the spell at the prison,” Sam announces. “I already know the start of the magic, and I should have it altered to match the old magic in less than an hour. Then we can head out.”

Gabriel nods, already planning the equipment he wants to bring with him. “Alright. But are you sure that it’ll work?”

“It’s like translation, English to Spanish, newer to older.” Sam shrugs like it’s no big deal. “I don’t have to worry about the magic not working because it’s the same thing as before, just another language.”

He really wishes he had the same understanding of magical theory that Sam has, but he has faith in his abilities. “If you know it’ll work, I’ll believe you. Do you need anything from me to do this?”

“Just your protection.” Sam winces at the idea of going alone. “I’ll be so focused on the spell and working the magic that I won’t be able to protect myself if others come up, even a human. I can’t do this alone.” 

“I’ll be there.” Gabriel pulls Sam in for a kiss on the forehead. “Do you need anything before we leave?”

“I’d like to get a crystal from Paloma,” Sam says as they start to head out. “Although ley lines aren’t used in demonic magic, they’ll help ground me and will help strengthen the cut off spell. A human source for the old magic will make it even more effective.”

“Of course.” Gabriel follows Sam down the street as they head for Paloma’s shop, senses on high alert. The demons have what they’re looking for, an anchor for their spell, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back. They could always come looking for another power source for another spell. 

Thankfully it’s a quick walk, but her shop isn’t empty when they arrive. Sam heads for the crystals as Gabriel monitors the others in the store. They’re all human, so he’s not too worried, but doing magic can make them dangerous. 

Sam moves closer to him, and Gabriel holds his arm up so that Sam can slip under it. “I’m ready.” He holds up a white crystal as long as his finger and twice as wide. “This is all I need for focus.”

“Then let’s go.” Gabriel ushers them up to the counter, and Paloma gives them a quick smile. There are enough people that she can’t linger with them, but she does take a moment to congratulate Sam for picking a good crystal. Sam thanks her, and then they’re on their way. 


	73. Chapter 73

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this was supposed to be up last night, but my computer glitched. Enjoy a chapter in the morning!

Sam stares at the spell taking a few deep breaths for courage. He made light of it when talking to Gabe, but he’s not actually that confident. In theory, it’s simple, but reality isn’t always as easy as theory. It rarely is.

Gabe walks around behind him muttering spells to make sure they can’t be seen or heard. There’s probably some others in there, warning spells if demons come along and such, but he’s not paying enough attention to tell. As long as they work, which they will since Gabe’s the one setting the spells. 

Placing the crystal in the center of the spell, Sam watches as the inherent magic in the spell and the power of the ley line holds it to the wall. He takes a few more deep breaths but there’s no more delaying at this point. 

Sam puts his hands on the wall, letting the magic of the spell seep into his mind. He reads through every part to make sure he knows it in full. Then he starts to work his way through it to the portion that dictates the transition of power from Earth to the demon in Hell. 

As Sam studies the exact wording of the spell, he becomes more confident in his plan. Instead of adding a whole section to the spell, all he has to do is tweak a few words here and there. He refocuses on his work to see the difference between what he was going to add and what he now thinks he needs to add. 

Gabriel watches Sam from a distance even while continuing to circle the area. If anyone comes even remotely close to them, he wants to have plenty of advance warning. He can’t tell what Sam’s doing, but he can feel the magic in the air. 

He can actually feel it enough that it’s putting him on edge. The mix of demonic and human magic in there makes his nerves very not happy. Gabriel turns his back to Sam so that he can focus on potential threats coming to him rather than Sam behind him. 

No one comes at them, human or demon, but he’s so focused on finding an attacker that he almost misses when Sam’s done. The drop in magic in the air has him spinning around, looking for a new threat, one that hit Sam without him noticing. Thankfully, all he sees is Sam with a smile on his face. 

“I did it! And it was even easier than I thought it would be.” Sam takes the crystal off the wall and makes his way over to Gabriel. 

“Of course it was. You’re incredibly smart, but you don’t always have enough confidence.” Gabriel keeps the wards up to make sure that no one has any idea they were anywhere near the prison. He can’t do much for his magical signature, but Sam has helped him dampen it enough that they should be okay. 

Sam blushes and moves closer so that he can put his arm around Gabriel’s waist. The move makes his instincts happy, and Gabriel realizes that he’s smiling too. “I’m working on that, and having you telling me how amazing I am helps.”

Gabriel makes a note to keep praising Sam, and then he wonders what it could do in the bedroom. Perhaps he can try it tonight. “You’re amazing, and I’ll keep telling you until you know it as much as I do.” 

He doesn’t say it, but Sam’s pretty sure that it’s going to take time, but he’s also pretty sure it’ll happen eventually. “Either way, we’re done here, so time to head back home?”

“Time to head back home.” Gabriel starts walking with Sam still in his grasp. “Are you going to tell the residents?”

Sam sighs. “I don’t know. I don’t want to tell them when there’s nothing they can do about it, when we aren’t even sure anything’s going to happen. But I also don’t want to keep anything from them. What do you think? Would you tell them what we’ve been doing?”

“Well…” Gabe wobbles his hand side to side. “I don’t want to scare them, and you’re right that they can’t do anything. But I think they’d want to know. They’ve had enough of people manipulating them, that they’d probably appreciate knowing.”

“Then we’ll tell them. I can’t think of any harm in telling them.” Sam doesn’t want to, but he sticks to his decision. When they reach the shelter, he calls all of the residents to the kitchen the easiest place to tell them all. 

“So we may or may not have a bunch of demons coming at us.” Silas shakes his head while the majority of the other residents start whispering to each other. “Do you actually think they’re going to come for us?”

Sam shrugs. “Honestly, I don’t know. Based on what the angels in Hell are seeing, it appears that demons are more interested in each other than they are in us. But if Nathan felt eyes on him, then we want to be prepared.”

Jennifer really doesn’t like the sound of this. “If they’re focused on each other, what good are we to them?”

“A source of energy,” Gabriel tells them, briefly explaining how they can provide energy to demons. “And they’re always looking for more slaves.”

She does  _ not  _ want to go back to Hell. “But you’ve got protections in place to make sure they can’t get in, right?”

Enoch steps forward to try and reassure Jennifer, one of his favorite residents. “We do. There are spells in place to give us warning if demons come within three blocks of us now. On top of that, we have increased the protective spells on the building as well as within the building. If something does somehow manage to get through here, get up to the second floor. Any demon other than Sam trying to get up there will be incinerated.”

Well, it’s better than nothing, and Jennifer figures that’s reality. “Thanks.” She gives him a smile and sits back, as satisfied as she can be for the moment. 

“Anything else?” Sam asks, getting a negative in response. “If you have any further questions, please let us know. And if anything changes, we’ll let you know.” He reaches back and grabs Gabe’s hand as the residents file out of the kitchen. Silas looks at them and turns around to come back. 

“Do you really think that they’re going to come for us?” He looks between the two of them, wanting to see every facial expression. 

“I have no idea.” Sam meets his eyes, not blinking. “I really don’t know what they’d get out of it except pointless revenge which they can’t afford to waste energy on if they’re also attacking other Sins. Unfortunately, we just have to wait and see.”

Honesty is appreciated, but Silas really wishes the answer gave him more information. “Alright. Thanks for telling us.” Sam nods at him, and Silas leaves now, satisfied for the moment. 

Sam watches him leave with a sigh. “I really hope we didn’t just make them nervous for nothing.” 

“Better that than having them surprised out of nowhere.” Gabriel stretches and pops his back. “So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“Might as well do some training.” It’s been a while since he promised to do physical training, and he hasn’t really followed through on that. “Given what might be coming, it’s probably a good idea.” 

Gabriel agrees, and they spend the rest of the day brushing up on Sam’s hand to hand combat skills. Most combat in Hell involves weaponry, but demons and angels are both more likely to leave them behind when on Earth. It’s really hard to explain a three foot sword to human police. 

By the time they’re done, Sam feels half dead and ready for bed. “Do we have to eat dinner?”

“You need to refuel,” Gabriel tells him, ushering him up to the kitchen. “We can be quick, but you need to eat.” 

Sam groans but doesn’t argue any longer. He plops down on one of the benches and lets his head hit the tabletop. 

“What’s wrong?” Alex asks, sitting on the bench across from him. “You don’t normally look this wrung out.”

“Gabe kicked my ass,” Sam mutters, not bothering to open his eyes. “I hate physical training. The library is so much better.”

Shelly laughs, joining them at the table and poking Sam’s arm, getting a moan in response. “You’re supposed to be so much stronger than us, so why are you so worn out?”

“Because he likes the library better than the gym,” Gabriel tells them with a smirk. He puts a hand on Sam’s back muttering a small spell to reduce some of his pain. It’s not enough to make it all go away, but it should be enough to get him through dinner. 

“Because the library is way more civilized.” Sam sits up to look at them, not bothered by the teasing but more than willing to defend his library. “You should try it some time.”

“I’m in the library all the time,” Jennifer tells him, “because becoming a nurse requires a lot of reading.” She really prefers the more hands on work they get when the angel Anna comes down from Heaven. 

“So it all comes down to personal opinion,” Victoria adds while bringing over plates of toppings for the tacos. “Me, I’ve spent plenty of time in the library, but I can also appreciate a nice workout.”

“To each their own,” Sam announces while grabbing at the plate already on the table with tortillas and various meats. He likes simple tacos, just seasoned beef, onions, cilantro, and lime juice, and he has Alex to thank for that. The Hispanic man scoffs at Tex-Mex, and Paloma agrees, the two of them teaching the angels how to cook food authentically. 

Dinner goes by smoothly, no one talking about anything too serious, probably trying to avoid the conversation from earlier. When you have people to protect you, ignorance can be bliss. 

Eventually they end up back in Sam’s room, Sam sprawled out on the bed. He lets out another groan, but this one is clearly more pain filled than sexual. “I do not want to do that again. I do not want to learn how to defend myself. That’s what you’re for.”

Gabriel can’t help the instinctual burst of happiness that comes from his mate’s confidence in him. “Maybe we can decrease the intensity a bit, but you need to be able to defend yourself. And maybe we can add more magic to your arsenal instead of physical actions.”

He shifts to straddle his mate’s hips and waves his hands to strip his mate. A bottle of oil flies into his hand, and he mutters a small spell to warm it to body temperature. Gabriel pours a little puddle of it on Sam’s back and starts working it into his skin. 

“Oh jeez, that feels amazing.” Sam sinks deeper into the mattress as Gabe’s hands work all over his back. Each press, each movement of his fingers, takes away more and more of the pain from their training. By the time Gabe reaches his lower back and ass, Sam can barely move. 

“You have amazing hands. Training isn’t so bad if it ends like this.” Sam rolls just enough that their eyes meet. “Thanks.”

“Of course.” Gabriel can’t get past the fact that he’s had his hands on his mate’s bare skin for nearly an hour and now they’re on his ass. “Can I try something else?”

“If it continues to feel this good, you can do whatever you want.” Sam closes his eyes and waits to be impressed. 

Gabriel kneads Sam’s ass while debating asking vs acting. Given Sam’s past, he can’t just act, they’re not there yet. “And can I make it sexual?”

There’s a tense moment before Sam nods. “Yes, you can.”

“You tell me if it ever becomes too much.” Gabriel keeps kneading Sam’s ass, fingers moving closer and closer to the cleft between them until he’s touching his hole. Soft wrinkled skin, each pass resulting in a little sigh or gasp from Sam. 

Sam can’t quite decide how he feels about the touches. They certainly aren’t bad, but they make him tense and clench up, not relax like Gabe tells him too. When he starts putting pressure on his asshole, Sam really doesn’t know how he feels. 

“Too much?” Gabe asks, pressure stopped but fingers still touching him. 

“I don’t know,” Sam admits. He really doesn’t like that he doesn’t know how he feels. 

“Can I try pushing a finger inside you?” Gabe asks, fingers starting to move again although they’re not pressing. 

“But if I say stop, you have to stop immediately.” Sam trust Gabe, he trusts his mate, he really does, but he needs the comfort of saying it out loud as well. 

“If you say stop, I’ll stop immediately.” Gabriel takes a moment to just touch Sam, rosebud glistening from the oil, before starting to push again. Sam tenses up, but after a deep breath, he must consciously relax because the tip of Gabriel’s thumb pops inside.

“Oh.” Gabriel smiles at the surprise in Sam’s voice, still for a moment before starting to push in just a little further. 

“How does it feel?” He wants to hear his mate’s voice while touching him. 

Sam pauses trying to figure out how he feels, how to articulate it. “It’s pressure,” Sam says, the only word he can think of, “and it feels kind of weird, but it also feels kind of good.” He can’t believe he’s about to say this. “Can you please keep doing it?”

“Definitely.” Gabe pushes his thumb deeper inside of Sam, and he gasps. The more Gabe moves his finger, the better Sam feels. 

And then Gabe’s thumb reaches a point inside Sam that has him jerking on the bed. Sam loses track of conscious thought as his body explodes with sensations. Gabe keeps doing it, over and over, and Sam writhes on the bed with pleasure. 

As he tries to process the feelings, Sam realizes he’s pulling at the sheets, making a mess of the bed. For some reason, it helps to have something to focus on that isn’t his body. Turns out it doesn’t really matter though because it doesn’t take long before he’s exploding with a scream. 

Gabriel watches his mate fall apart on the bed all because of one of his fingers. Watching Sam writhe, Gabriel undoes his pants and shoves his hand inside to stroke himself until he cums, adding to the mess on the sheets. 

He falls forward, muscles giving out, to lie down next to Sam. They stay there, looking at each other but not saying anything. At one point, Sam makes a face before using a quick spell to clean them off. 

“Please tell me we can do that again.” Sam wiggles around so that he can rest his head on Gabe’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. It’s a little faster than normal, but it begins to slow down as Gabe relaxes. 

“Like anything else, we can do it as often as you like as long as you’re comfortable.” Gabe runs his fingers through Sam’s hair which is probably his favorite thing ever. No matter what they get up to, he will definitely want this every day. 

“Sounds perfect.” They lie there in silence, no need to say anything else as they slowly drift to sleep. 


	74. Chapter 74

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Busy week, sorry I didn't get the chapters up until late this week. By the way, the heat sucks. I am so glad for my air conditioner.

Tikva paces her living room waiting for the others to arrive. She never thought too much about the fucking demon and his stupid plans for a shelter to try and help victims. The fight with Wrath occupied her thoughts, but she just learned that he actually got the funding he wanted. 

A knock on the door has her hand flying to her sword as she checks the magical signatures outside. She opens the door to admit Yana, Ohev, Orel, and Idor. Tikva checks the corridor to make sure no one saw them before closing the door. 

“So, you’ve heard the news too?” Ohev sits on the sofa, sword right next to her. “The demon has his little project?”

“And that an archangel is working with him.” Orel shakes his head while joining Ohev on the sofa. “It’s Michael’s precious brother, so they won’t do anything about it. Someone has to handle this.”

“We can’t be too obvious,” Tikva says with a grimace, “since we’ll be up on Earth. Can’t attract the humans’ attention.” Then again, if they were overtly attacking demons on Earth, perhaps more humans would show Heaven and angels the respect they deserve. 

Everyone falls silent, thinking through the repercussions. “It’ll be worth it though,” Yana eventually announces. “Look at Bartholomew. He did the right thing even though there was a chance it would go wrong. We can’t go into this worrying about ourselves.”

“Half of my battalion would join us,” Ohev announces although that might be too many people. “We’ll be dealing with angels though, so we’ll have to review our battle strategies.”

“The shock of realizing they’re being brought to task,” Tikva reminds everyone, “will give us the upper hand we need.”

“That and we’ve been fighting in Hell while they’ve been lounging on Earth.” Yana still can’t believe that they have to talk about fighting their own people. How could angels stray so far from the path of what’s proper? Even if some humans are worthy of help, no demons should be involved in the process whatsoever. 

“What’s the best way to get in?” Idor asks, wanting to move forward with planning. He has no qualms about this because they’re cleaning up the mess left by others. 

They plan and strategize for hours until they finally settle on a plan more focused on stealth than force. Every angel can hide their aura, appear human rather than angelic. They know where the raids take place, so it won’t be too hard to be ‘rescued’ and brought up to Earth. A few days of reconnaissance on the shelter, and then they can drop the disguises and attack. 

“But when?” Tikva doesn’t want to wait any longer than absolutely necessary to do this, but if they act too soon, that could causes its own issues. 

Ohev thinks back to the conversation she heard between a few of Sigal’s angels. “This week. Sigal has a raid coming up, and who better to deliver us than an officer stupid enough to support the shelter?”

She looks around at the others, who all seem to agree, and gets a nod of approval from Tikva. “How many more do you want to come with us?”

Tikva tries to balance reality and her desires. The more of them, the better, but too many would be suspicious. “Just us five, to make sure we don't have too many people who know. Those defending the shelter will outnumber us, but they always will, and we can work around it.”

“Where should we meet?” Orel asks, already trying to plan how to explain his upcoming absence. 

“Hang out in the kitchens,” Tikva decides, focusing on the best place to hear gossip, “and we’ll move out once we have a specific date for Sigal’s raid.” 

Idor agrees with everything, but there’s just one small issue. “We’re rarely in the kitchen, and we don’t want to stick out. Perhaps one of us at a time, no more than two at a time.” 

Everyone nods at that, and this is the first time that Tikva wishes she spent a little less time in her rooms. “Nothing gets written down, just spoken. We can’t risk this getting back to Commander Michael or any of the other angels who are friends with him.”

They agree, standing up and shaking hands before heading out. Idor lingers a bit, reaching back to take Tikva’s hand again. “Once this is done, once we’ve proved ourselves, we should get away. They won’t be able to force us to serve anymore.”

Tikva has no real interest in a permanent relationship, and short term ones are only good if they get her something. Idor’s already following her plan, but she might as well keep him happy. “Of course. There will be several angels who lose their fortunes, their mansions. We’ll find one that we like.”

He smiles at her, and she suffers through the kiss on the cheek. Idor knows too much to make him upset with her now. When he finally leaves, Tikva pulls out her weapons and starts sharpening them. You can never be too prepared. 

\----------

The demon walks through the corridors of Lust keeping its eyes lows to avoid all eye contact. Anyone could attack it at any point, but at least keeping its eyes down should help reduce the odds of an issue. 

It also makes it easier to keep up the glamour. 

It doesn’t get too many chances to leave the throne room or Lust’s bedroom, so the demon is going to take full advantage of this break. Long experience in Hell gives it the knowledge of pulling power directly from the corridors. As always, the more power, the better. 

Something’s coming. It has no idea when that something will arrive, but when it does, the demon will be ready for it. No way in Hell it’s going to be Lust’s little pet for the rest of eternity. It certainly isn’t going to be passed from Lust to Lust as the individual demons fail to hold onto power. 

Only one demon now has the power to stay a Sin forever, Lilith of Pride. 

Jealousy makes the demon grind its teeth, but it focuses on keeping its irritation levels down. No point in inviting trouble by agitating the air. Besides, it has a goal, a focus for its time out of chains today that isn’t power. 

Eventually it reaches the prison cells and grabs a rag. Demons don’t always care about cleanliness, but they’ve found that angels are a little more compliant when there’s at least a little cleanliness around. With a rag in hand, the demon becomes invisible. 

Seconds after it bends down to start scrubbing, two demons enter the side cave, weapons still in hand. “This fucking sucks. We haven’t had an angel down here in years.”

“Well, Lust is more interested in dealing with Wrath and the other Sins than he is in the angels.” Dirk hangs up the whip not sure why he grabbed it in the first place. It’s not like he’s had a chance to use it recently. “We won’t have one of them again unless the angels decide to attack us.”

“And that isn’t going to happen soon. Lust prefers fucking to fighting,” Angela runs a hand over her tits, preferring it too, “so he’s not going to attack unless he has to.”

“Maybe he’ll have to soon.” Carter joins his friends in the cave, ignoring the slave cleaning it. “Rumor has it Wrath is preparing to attack us.”

“Why?” Angela sharpens her knife for lack of anything better to do. “Sloth is closer to him, and he’s a lazy bastard, obviously.”

“Yeah, but Pride will stand behind him, and Gluttony likes him too. Wrath attacks him, as new as he is, and it’d be suicide.” Carter loves the idea of an all out battle, nothing getting him hotter than bloodshed, but he hasn’t had that chance in a while. 

“Where do Greed and Envy factor in to all of this?” Dirk hasn’t heard about them since they put the new Wrath into power. “Would they support the new Wrath they put in place, or would they help us? Rumor has it Lust gave them some support when taking out Abaddon.”

It takes every iota of concentration in the demon’s body not to flinch at the name. No one has said that name in front of the demon since it was taken by Lust. At least there was that one small mercy. 

“Right now, I don’t think Lust gives a shit.” Carter hasn’t liked things around her for a few years. “He’s been more focused on fucking than ever before. My guess, he has something going on with Greed and Envy that he thinks will keep him safe.”

“Maybe they made a good deal if Lust gave them enough help to kick out Abaddon.” This time, it’s not as hard to control the flinch. “That would explain why he’s just sitting on his ass.”

“Yeah, but he’s a demon, a  _ Sin _ .” Angela tosses her knife aside, preferring to pace to sharpening her knife to a point of uselessness. “He should want to fight just as much as he wants to fuck. This makes no sense.” 

The demon considers staying quiet then decides to risk it. Even demons have a certain respect for their elders. “It makes perfect sense.” 

The demons all turn to stare at the slave cleaning the floors. Weak and old, Dirk can’t get enough of a read off of it to figure out which line it comes from. “Explain.” He almost wishes he still had the whip in his hand to crack it at the slave. 

The slave sits back on its feet, head coming up but eyes still downcast. “When a demon becomes a Sin, it needs to embody the sin enough for it to fit, but it also needs to be strong enough not to be overwhelmed.”

“You’re saying Lust is getting overwhelmed by his power, like he can’t control it anymore?” Carter had no idea that something like that could happen to a Sin. He always figured that they’d be strong enough to overcome anything. 

“You said it, not me. But if he’s more focused on his lust than on managing his territory, you have a good indicator that he’s not in control anymore.” The slave leans forward to start cleaning the floor again. 

“Shit.” Angela looks at the other two men. “So we’re just stuck on a ship going down because the captain can’t focus anymore. What the Hell happens now? It’s not like we can just defect to another line.” 

Well… The demon has heard of that happening before, but it wasn’t too common and only when Lucifer’s Hell was in its infancy, demons still finding the best fit for them. It could probably be done via force and a spell these days, but it wouldn’t be pleasant. Besides, once there’s a new Lust in place, they’ll all be fine. 

The demon finishes cleaning the cave, might as well since it’s there, then heads back to the throne room. It stockpiled a decent amount of power while out on its little venture, so it was a successful day. Learning that other demons have picked up on Lust’s weakness as well was a nice addition to the plan. 

The demon slips inside the throne room and replaces the chain around its ankle. Lust sleeps in his throne, and several other demons sleep on the floor. The room stinks of sex, nothing too surprising. 

The hand coming down to grab the demon’s throat is. 

“I don’t know what you have planned, and I don’t know what you’re doing leaving your spot, but if you try to hurt me, I will destroy you.” Lust doesn’t even look at the demon while threatening it. 

It’s a credible threat, but the demon ignores it. With all the shit going on right now, the demon has a feeling it doesn’t really need to worry about that threat. Lust has bigger problems than one slave getting a little curious. 


	75. Chapter 75

Maggie paces the length of her room, bored out of her mind. She doesn’t mind the research into breaking bonds, but there’s only so much she can do before she needs a break. At least with Johnny around she could tease him for entertainment. 

Driven half crazy by boredom, Maggie starts checking the spells on the door. They’re decently strong, but they’re standard spells that most demons use. Smirking, Maggie taps into the new power she’s receiving from Earth and breaks the spell, unlocking the door. 

Wrath nobles bind their slaves at a percentage of the power, giving them access to just enough to do a little magic. It’s enough they won’t explode from too much power in their body but not so much they can lash out. 

A stronger slave has stronger spells keeping it bound. When putting her in her new rooms, the demons forgot to factor in Maggie’s new power. If she was in charge, she’d use the strongest spells for all slaves, but they probably consider it a waste of energy, so each slave is bound with just enough power to keep it down. 

Stupid demons. 

Maggie heads out into the corridor and decides to take a left. Why not? She can hear more noise that way which means more people to watch. As long as she makes herself look busy, or hops to it when given an order, no one will realize that she shouldn’t be there. 

She doesn’t encounter any demons in the first corridor and turns left at the end to continue going on. Maggie starts encountering people after about five minutes, mostly other slaves who keep their eyes down and keep walking. A few Greed slaves nod at her, but it’s quick, missed if you aren’t looking for it. 

At the end of this corridor, Maggie hits the jackpot. Below her are fields and fields of soldiers doing their training. Yeah, she can definitely spend some time here. To start, the eye candy. Soldiers always look the best, plenty of muscles for her to appreciate. The best part is that they really know how to use their tails. 

Once she gets tired of ogling, she starts analyzing their training. They must be new recruits because none of the moves look too complicated. She can see the talent in several soldiers, even with the basic moves, and she wonders just how far they’ll go in the rankings. 

Footsteps approach her, the first time in nearly an hour, and Maggie turns to the right this time to walk away. It’s impressive that she went that long without running into anyone else, and she doesn’t want to get caught yet. 

The corridor slopes down just enough to be noticeable, and Maggie continues on, a little nervous about the lack of doorways or other corridors. Nowhere for her to hide or pretend to be on an errand, and those footsteps are still behind her. 

When they stop, she keeps going, hoping to distance herself as much as possible. It’s not far enough though because a hand on her tail yanks, and she’s pulled around and slammed into the wall, an arm at her throat. 

“What the Hell are you doing out of your room? You shouldn’t be able to get out of there on your own.” 

Maggie looks up into Jacob’s face with a smirk. “You gave me more power, remember? Not my fault you forgot to adjust the locking spells.” 

Fucking guards. Jacob needs to bash in a few heads next time he checks up on them. He doubts Maggie did anything to cause a problem, but the next slave to get out might do plenty. “So what have you been doing with your freedom today?”

Freedom? Hardly. “Watched your soldiers training. Lots of eye candy down there. It’d be more fun if you let them train naked though.” 

Jacob raises an eyebrow at her, shaking his head. “Problem is, they need to learn to move in their equipment, so I can’t really help you with that. Sorry. If you wanted to work in the sex pens, you’d have plenty of chances to see naked demons.” 

She winces, the reaction Jacob expected. “How about I just go back to my room instead?”

“Almost.” He steps back and lets her arms free but makes sure his magic is ready to grab her if necessary. “I want to test how much power you have, how easy it is for you to use the power. We’ve run tests before, but I want to do more now that I know that you can get past the locking spell.” 

Jacob knows he should have left her in his rooms, but he didn’t want the distraction of someone else’s magic in his space. At least she can’t get into too much trouble out and about on her own. “Were you a soldier for Greed?” He tends to increase the power in his slave suppression spells above what most slave owners so, so she must have a lot more power now. 

Maggie considers lying, but as soon as she does anything, she’ll give herself away. She’s never been able to fake her skills. “I was a swordsman for him and eventually ended up training the new soldiers.” 

Impressive. That’s a position generally well protected, not leaving the home Sin’s territory. Perhaps the all out attack on Abaddon took more out of the other Sins than he realized. “Follow me.” At first, he was going to put her through basic tests, but now Jacob wants to see everything that she’s capable of. 

Down in the changing rooms, Jacob watches Maggie strip and dress in light armor. She makes her way towards the fields, the sound of swords clanging together leading the way, but Jacob takes her arm and leads to an interior training room. 

“I want to see what you can do.” Jacob sets up a barrier, one only someone of his power of more could breach. Even with her new power source, Maggie has at most half his power. Once established, Jacob waves a hand to cancel the spells on the slave collar around Maggie’s neck. 

She stands there, not sure she feels what she thinks she feels. He gave her all her powers, no restrictions? What sort of game is he playing? Maggie wants to ask, but a sword appears in front of her followed by two animated practice dummies, and she’s now focused on staying alive and in one piece. 

As her heart rate increases, Maggie feels the blood rushing through her body for the first time in months. She misses this, the chance to stretch her abilities to the maximum. Lack of practice has her off balance at first, but muscle memory keeps her whole and then lets her slice the dummies to shreds. 

Jacob admits a certain level of admiration of her skills and decides to see just how good Maggie is. Three new dummies enter the room, two swords and a spear between them, all with a higher skill level. 

It was a bit of a rocky start, but Maggie almost seems more talented as the fight goes on. Exhaustion and exertion don’t seem to take a toll on her as she continues wielding the sword with clear talent. Although they’d never let a slave fight without restrictions, Jacob almost wishes they could utilize Maggie in a fight. 

Ten dummies later, Maggie still stands on her own two feet, only a few small scratches on her, slightly out of breath. She checks the sword over then turns to Jacob. “Seen enough?”

He smiles at her and shakes his head. As impressive as that show was, Jacob wants to see what she can do with combative magic. Brute force is great, but talent with high levels of power are even more impressive. “Not quite.”

Targets fly into the room, different offensive spells required to take them out. Not only does Maggie have to have the power to knock them out, she needs the ability to read the targets to see what spell to use. 

Maggie narrows her eyes at the various targets. It’s been a while since she had to train with them, more focused on sending them at people during training. This means she has a bit of an idea of what spells can be used and the best way to defend against them, but doing so in real time while fending off attacks isn’t a piece of cake. 

A small beep is her only warning before the targets swarm over her. Spells target every part of her body, and Maggie focuses on the defensive just trying to stay on her feet. After getting into a routine, the targets somewhat predictable, Maggie starts fighting back. 

Slowly but surely, the targets start dropping like humans. Down on the ground and not getting back up. When the last one falls, she smirks and turns back to Jacob. “Definitely a difference with the new spell. I’ve never taken out that many before and definitely not that fast either.” The only drawback is that she won’t have a chance to do this again as a slave. 

Jacob nods, waving a hand to resume the spells in her collar. Maggie grimaces, but Jacob doesn’t care. He doesn’t drop the barrier between them until the spells have all settled. Even with less power, her skills are easily a match for his. 

“You’re good at that, both physical skills and magical ones.” Jacob walks up to her with a smile. “Did you miss it, leaving the field for training instead?”

Maggie thinks about it while trying to adjust to the binds on her power. After a few hours to let it roam free, the bindings feel extra harsh now. “Somewhat. I enjoyed the chance to fight other demons. But yelling at new trainees was fun too.” 

She turns to run a finger down the middle of Jacob’s chest, watching his eyes dilate with interest. She knew she didn’t miss the scent of arousal in the air. That could definitely be useful. “And you? Just how good were you?”

Jacob won’t deny that she’s attractive, but he doesn’t let himself be swayed by interest or admiration. She’s a slave, one he’s using to help empower his Majesty, and he can’t afford any distractions. 

“I was good enough to train soldiers as well.” He leaves it at that, not interested in rehashing his whole military career to her. “Now, I’m in charge of a large number of slaves and soldiers and even low ranking nobility. Definitely traded up.”

Taking a step back, Maggie doesn’t bother pushing the point because she knows she won’t get any further with him. No point in pissing him off, not when he could easily restrict her access to her power even more. 

“So, can I keep wandering around, seeing the highlights of Wrath’s Hell, or is it time to go back to my rooms?” Maggie would kill to have more times out of her rooms, literally, but she doubts she’ll get that chance. 

Jacob just smiles and takes her arm. “Given that you shouldn’t have been out of your room in the first place, be happy with what you got and don’t push for more.” 

Well, when he puts it that way. Maggie lets Jacob lead her back to her rooms without complaint because there’s really no point in fighting it. Once the door closes behind her, the lock spells twice as strong as before, Maggie punches the wall. 

“Damn it!” Getting out was necessary, she was going a little stir crazy on her own, but she wanted more time outside. And the chance to be herself again was a cruel tease she didn’t really need. Great at the time, seriously sucks now. 

At least the physical activity has calmed her enough that she can focus on her research again. Sooner or later, preferably sooner, she’s going to figure out how to get these binds off of her. Maggie refuses to be a slave forever.

The books beckon her over, and Maggie settles down to read and takes notes again. The answer has to be there somewhere. No spell is forever. 


	76. Chapter 76

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Lucifer for the win! Although, lets be honest, it's mostly Lucifer because he's a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for.

Lucifer looks at the weapon, not quite sure about this. The theory and logic behind what they’re doing is sound, but that doesn’t mean it’ll actually work. Something like this has never been attempted, so there’s no way to know what might go wrong if it doesn’t work out. 

“Don’t worry so much.” Michael isn’t used to being the more confident one, but this is a little different. Lucifer came up with the plan, not him, and it’s also a part of him rejoining the fight in Hell. It’s not straight forward, but Michael can understand the sense that a lot is riding on this succeeding. 

“And if it goes wrong?” Lucifer can’t get the nasty imagery out of his head, Michael’s body splattered all over the cave walls because of a magical explosion. 

“Then it goes wrong, and Castiel continues the fight.” Probably not the answer he’s looking for, but it’s the only one Michael has. “Besides, we know better, and we’re not rushing into it without thinking it through.”

Turning around, Michael sets up a barrier across the doorway so no one can wander in and get hurt. Next he sets up barriers around the table they’re working on. They provide physical protection, but they also focus on preventing magical backlash. 

“One way barriers?” Lucifer really should be past being impressed by his mate, but it still happens. He wouldn’t have thought to put up barriers against magic passing at them since it generally interrupts the magic a person sends out. 

“Should protect us from the majority of any potential backlash. The magic in the weapon came from you, but now, it’s stronger than the both of us.” Michael always knew Lucifer could do amazing things when he put his mind to it, and here’s the proof. “The barrier won’t completely protect us, but it should turn something lethal into something uncomfortable. 

He trusts his mate, but Lucifer still checks over every inch of the spells Michael wove together to create the barriers. He can’t find any fault anywhere, and that means he doesn’t have anything to help him keep stalling. “Well, let’s do this?”

Michael nods and moves around the table so that they’re facing each other before stripping quickly. Based on Lucifer’s additional research after deciding on the swap, the more natural they are, the better. Clothing is physical, but it absorbs magic, and they don’t need anything else involved in this than they already have between themselves and the weapon. 

Lucifer does the same, and they push in on the magic and the spell at the same time. He can feel Lucifer’s magic both fresh and twisted by time, but Michael waits. His job involves pushing the portion of the spell encoding angels over to the part of the spell dictating who can use the magic and the weapon. 

He can’t do anything until Lucifer has worked the magic enough to create room for Michael to move in. Lucifer has the harder task, pushing the encoding of the demons over to the portion regarding targeting. There isn’t room in the spell for dual encoding, so it takes focus and determination. 

Any bit of doubt in himself and his abilities and the magic could fight back via inertia, ruining their plans and potentially hurting them. As the creator, Lucifer has to start everything because he designed the spell not to respond to anyone else. 

Michael stands and watches and waits. Lucifer is poking and prodding the spell looking for weaknesses to exploit. He knows how he’d do it, but something tells Michael that would backfire. If Lucifer built defenses into the weapon, there’s definitely things in there specifically designed to target Michael and the way he thinks. 

He can’t find a spot to push at, and it’s driving Lucifer crazy. There has to be a weakness in the magic, because no matter how strong he made the weapon, time will weaken it. Time twists and warps, but the spells never get stronger. Any strength gained will have a corresponding weakness somewhere else. 

Closing his eyes, Lucifer really focuses on the spell, drowning everything out but the magic. Instead of pushing, he waits. He’s never been the most patient, so it makes sense that he’d build something to make someone wait if they wanted to change it. 

After what feels like forever, the spell relaxes and settles around the slight shift Lucifer was able to make. He pushes a little further, gets a few lines of spell closer to his goal, then he stops. The spell has stiffened up, so he waits for it to relax again. 

It’s slow going, and Lucifer really wants to go back in time to smack his past self. Can’t deny that he knows effective magic though. He just hopes that Michael doesn’t get too drained waiting. He’s not doing anything, but waiting on the edge, needing to be constantly ready to jump in when the spell is ready is mentally draining. 

Across the table, Michael watches his mate do seemingly nothing. He can’t see anything changing although he can sense small shifts in the spell around him. The waiting is getting to him, but he knows how to wait. 

They stand there, nothing happening on the outside, but making incremental changes in the weapon. Michael knows his mate can do this, and eventually he gets far enough that Michael starts seeing some room in the spell. It’s not enough for him to move yet, but it’s coming. 

Sure enough, there’s enough space in the spell soon that it starts to become a little unstable. Remove enough bricks from a foundation on one side and the same amount on the other, the building will stand but be wobbly. Put the bricks back in on the other side, stability returns. 

Michael just has to make sure he can return his ‘bricks’ before the spell collapses. 

Slowly, slowly, the space in the spell increases, and Michael starts working on his part. He condenses the coding for ‘angels’ until it appears narrower on one end, making it easier to slip it into the space opening up for it. 

Inch by inch, he pushes his part of the spell into the new space for it. Michael has no idea how long this part of the action will take, but he has a feeling things will speed up soon. Just has to stay patient a little while longer. 

Lucifer pushes again, but this time, the spell doesn’t stiffen. It’s like it’s adjusted to the movement and is okay with it now. Cautiously optimistic, Lucifer keeps pushing at the spell, making room for the demonic coding he’s pulling along. 

When the spell starts to move on its own, the demonic coding moving towards the space relegated for targeting, Lucifer starts focusing on controlling it. Moving faster is great, but moving too fast can be disastrous. 

On the other side of the table, Michael feels like the spell is slipping out of his grasp. He does his best to guide it into the space he wants it in, refusing to let it go to the wrong place. They did not come this far only to fail. 

Guiding the spell, Lucifer watches. It seems like everything is doing what they want, meeting their goal. Hopefully it’s over soon, just little details to clean up to make sure ‘demon’ and ‘target’ are as intertwined as ‘angel’ is with ‘wielder.’ 

Michael starts to realize he wants to pull out of the weapon and its spell. Things are going fine all on their own, and he gets the feeling they’re going to notice when the parts are newly settled. He refuses to pull out though, not with Lucifer still involved in the spell.

Two people can take a magical backlash better than one. 

When he realizes the spell is doing its own thing now, that it’s the one in control, Lucifer feels the panic rising up. This is going to work, the repositioning, but he has no idea what the result will be. It could be exactly what they want or the perfect thing to make the spell collapse. 

He doesn’t think he’d do that, doesn’t think he’d make something that can’t be redeemed, but he was pretty mad back then. 

Michael braces himself, pulling his magic closer to his core to protect himself. A stronger personal barrier reduces the chances of overload, too much magic for his body. 

Lucifer starts to panic, wishes he had done more research. He spreads his magic throughout his body, creating channels for external magic to run along and use up the energy before hurting him. 

The parts snap into place, the spell settled and formed once again. They hold their breath when nothing happens, wondering if they over prepared for something that isn’t going to happen. Michael starts to wonder how long they should wait when it explodes. 

The blast pushes their barriers back, not breaking through them but using the barriers to crush the angels against the walls. Heads slam against rock, knocking them out, physical defenses a lower due to the focus on magical protection. 

Lucifer’s body twitches and shakes, magic rocketing through him as his body tries to deal with more power than its felt in millennia. 

Michael’s body hunkers down, freezing, waiting for the extra power to bounce off and leave his body, the first time it’s felt something like this. 

When the magic dies down, the energy worn out, the barriers dissolve, power exhausted while protecting their creators. Without support, the two angels collapse to the ground unconscious and unresponsive. 

Elsewhere in Hell, angels look up as the wave of power moves through the caves and corridors. This has never happened before, and it feels slightly demonic but more like Lucifer than anything else. Who knew he had so much power?

Dean races for the kitchen hoping to find Cas there. If anyone knows what happened or could figure it out, it’d be him. He’s the oldest angel around after all. Angels fill the kitchen, confusion and some fear filling the air, Cas buried in the back. “What was that?”

Castiel scoops Dean up and checks him over to make sure the magic didn’t affect him. That much mostly angelic power might not be good for the son of a Sin. “I think Michael and Lucifer planned on working on the weapon today. That’s the only thing I can think of.”

That much magic is never good though. The archives tell of old weapons held in Heaven that stockpiled energy and could do something like that, but no one has ever seen them. That much angelic magic shouldn’t be possible in Hell, not unless an incredibly strong angel decided to detonate his power, turning his life into a weapon. 

“Where would they do that? We need to check on them.” Who gives a shit if the weapon survived, Dean wants to make sure that his family is okay after something like that. 

“If we can map the curvature of the wave,” an angel offers, “we can track it back to the origin point.”

“Yeah, but is that faster than just checking all the caves not currently designated for something?” another angel asks. 

“We’ll do both,” Castiel decides. Both ideas are valid so he doesn’t see the point in prioritizing one over the other. “Those who want to check the caves, organize a search and start. If you find the source, let us all know. If you want to map the wave, group together and do that. Dean and I will follow Lucifer’s magical scent to see if we can find them that way.”

Dean thinks that the mapping thing is the smartest way, checking the caves is more brute force and is probably faster, but family bonds are strong magic. “We should check for Michael too. Odds are they’re together, and searching for more magic should make them easier to find.” 

Cas nods, and they start moving through the corridors. Even after the work he’s done with Lucifer, trying to attune him to Hell without letting Hell take over, Michael is easier to sense. As head of the family, that makes sense to him, so Dean does it. 

Whatever he can do to try and help his family. 

He doesn’t really know what he feels, what he’s sensing, but Dean follows whatever it is, trusting his instincts to lead him right. Cas follows behind, not saying anything and not pushing to go another way. 

They end up in a section of corridors he’s never seen before, and Dean slows down. The sense is stronger than ever here, but now it feels like it’s everywhere, not precise enough for him to pick one cave over another. 

“Let me.” Castiel puts a hand on Dean’s shoulder to move past him. As his direct superior, Michael has a certain bond with Castiel, one he can use along with familial bonds to narrow down where specifically to find Michael. He just hopes Lucifer is there too. 


	77. Chapter 77

Castiel eventually finds a barrier stretched across a doorway, a good indicator that he’s found something. Michael put it up, to keep people out, but Castiel knows how to work with his magic. It’s not long before he has the spell rekeyed to respond to him. 

He takes the barrier down bit by bit, making sure that there isn’t something on the other side just waiting for them. Waving his hand with the thought of removing the spell would be faster, but that’s not what they need right now even if Dean can barely contain his impatience. 

The second Dean feels the rest of the spell dissipate he moves up right behind Cas and peeks around his arm. “Are they in there? Is it safe to go in?”

“I wouldn’t have let you move in if it wasn’t.” Cas walks forward a few steps then sucks in a breath. “They’re here. Go check Lucifer.” 

Dean doesn’t really know what he’s supposed to check for, so he does what Cas does. Fingers at the neck, and oh, he can feel a steady heartbeat. That should be good. Ear down to his mouth, okay he hears breathing which is definitely good. 

The hand over his chest, Dean doesn’t quite get that until he remembers that angels tend to house their magic near their heart. He checks for Lucifer’s, but he can’t sense anything. Frustrated, Dean makes skin to skin contact hoping that will help. Something hums against his skin, but that could just as easily be life force, not magic.

“Michael is alright,” Cas reports, looking over at Dean. “He probably just needs time for his body to rejuvenate itself, and then he’ll be fine.”

“And how long will that be?”

Castiel thinks back to when he was a child, touching tools and weapons he didn’t fully understand. The magic knocked him on his ass but not unconscious, and it took him a day of rest to recover. “Two days minimum, hopefully no more than four.” 

Dean doesn’t look like he believes Castiel anymore than he believes himself, but maybe just speaking the words will help. “He seems physically okay, but I can’t tell about his magic. I think it’s there, but I don’t know.” 

Worried, hoping he has better luck, Castiel reaches out and checks for magic. There’s something there, something near his heart, but not as much as he felt with Michael. When he moves his hands along Lucifer's body, Castiel keeps feeling that same sense of something there but not quite sure what. 

“I think he’s alright.” Castiel really wishes that Lucifer spent more time with others before doing something this risky. All angels in Hell have their signatures registered so that if something like this happens, the healers will know how depleted they are. 

“Then let’s get them to the medical bay.” Dean starts to wave his hand for a spell to lift and carry Lucifer, much easier than by hand, then freezes. “Um, can we use magic on them when they’re like this?”

Cas nods, so Dean performs the spell and starts walking towards the medical caves. Cas must let the other angels know they found them because everyone just watches them pass, doesn’t have to stop searching to look. 

In the medical supply room, Adriyel focuses on restocking the shelves with everything that fell when the pulse went through. He’d help with the searching, but odds are someone is hurt and they’ll need the supplies more than they’ll need him searching. Sure enough, he can feel several angels and the little demon entering the main cave. 

“Lay anyone injured on their own beds then leave. I need quite to diagnose them properly.” He doesn’t worry about being rude, the benefit to his position. 

“We’ll stay.” 

Adriyel blinks at the voice and actually focuses on his visitors, surprised to see Commander Castiel and… Are those Michael and Lucifer? He never believed the rumors that Lucifer had left Heaven to work in Hell. “Of course, Commander. Can you tell me what they were doing before this?”

The Commander explains in short detail the weapon that several soldiers found and the plan Michael and Lucifer concocted to try and make it usable against demons. While he can appreciate the sentiment, Adriyel really wishes they had been a little more cautious. 

“With the readings I have,” his hands busy even while his mind focused on the explanation, “their bodies are fine. It’s magical exhaustion from overload. Commander Michael’s levels indicate he’ll need two days. Lucifer…”

He hesitates because he hates to speculate. This is Commander Michael and his mate, and Commander Castiel clearly wants an answer. “Assuming they have a similar level of power and exhaustion, it’ll likely be two days for him as well. If anything, he might wake up sooner given that it was his old magic that exploded and his connection with Hell.” 

Well, apparently his guess wasn’t too far off, and Castiel finally relaxes a little. Having them out for two days isn’t great, but they aren’t planning anything soon, and the demons have been quiet recently, too quiet to be gearing up for something but also not silent, an indication of a sneak attack. 

“Do they need to be watched over, monitored?” Dean asks, stumbling over his words. Michael and Lucifer always seem so strong, so to see them in the sterile hospital beds, unconscious and unmoving is more than a little unnerving.

Adriyel smiles, charmed despite his general distaste at the idea of a demon so close to him. “I will be with them the whole time. If you’d like, please stop by to see for yourself that they are still alright.” He can be accommodating, for Commander Castiel’s mate at least.

The boy bites his lip then nods after a long moment. “Thanks. I know you know what you’re doing, but I worry about them, so it’ll be nice to see for myself that they’re alright.”

If there’s anything that Adriyel has learned over the years it’s that loved ones need reassurance. His skills should be reassurance enough, but it never hurts to say the words. “Of course. Stop by whenever you’d like.” The boy better not abuse the privilege though.

Dean nods, and follows Cas out of the cave. "So, that's it?"

"That's it. Adriyel will take good care of them, and we just have to wait." Castiel hates the idea, but it is what it is.

They head back to the kitchen and explain the magical exhaustion but leave out the cause. No point in raising hopes over a weapon that might not actually work for them. As soon as he can get out, Castiel heads back to the cave, Dean still with him.

"Do you think they did it?" He was so focused on Lucifer that Dean never even considered the weapon.

"I think so." While his main focus was on Michael, Castiel could still feel the weapon. Whatever they did, it did not remove the magic from the weapon. It will still do something even if it takes time to figure out what. 

Back at the original cave, Castiel takes down the spell cloaking the weapon to study it. There isn’t much of a signature radiating from it, indicating a certain level of stability. At least there won’t be another explosion to worry about. 

Dean keeps his distance because if they managed what they hoped to, it could kill him. It makes his skin crawl which is probably a good indicator of its level of danger. “I think they did it.” Cas nods, still focused on the weapon. 

“Perhaps. But can it be used after the changes? And will it only target demons, or is there still a threat to angels?” Those are good questions, but Dean still isn’t comfortable around it. 

“Um…” Dean conjures a knife and walks further into the room and cuts a narrow slash on his arm to smear blood on the wall. “It isn’t a demon, but it’s part of one. You should do the same, at least ten feet apart, and see which one the weapon targets when you use it.” 

Castiel likes the idea, but he’s still not so sure about testing something so dangerous with Dean around, not when he’s the target. “Go back out to the corridor and wait until I get you. I want to make sure the thing is fully off before letting you near it again.”

Dean nods and heads out, fingers crossed that it works. While he doesn’t really want to be a part of mass slaughter, he does want to see the angels survive. He can feel it when the weapon pulses, but he’s still here, so that’s good. It takes longer for Cas to come get him, but he comes eventually. 

“It worked.” Smiling feels wrong given the death the weapon can wreak, but Castiel can’t help happiness at the idea that the angels have another weapon to protect themselves. “Took a divot out of the wall where your blood was, wouldn’t even fire when aimed at mine.” 

“As long as that thing now stays far away from me and Sam, we’re good.” Most angels he’s met are mostly okay with him around, but there are still some who don’t like him. They’d be a serious threat to him if they got their hands on the weapon. 

“Of course.” Castiel waves a quick illusion around the weapon before tucking it against his side. “I’ll go put it in Michael’s rooms. He, Lucifer, and I are the only ones who can enter his rooms, so it’ll be safe there.” 

“What about me?” Dean doesn’t really want to go with him, but he doesn’t have any plans for the day, and he was hoping to spend some time with Cas. 

“Why don’t you go up to Earth?” Technically, Dean should be with an angel, but it won’t be long before he’s with Gabriel and therefore an angel is with him. “You can tell Gabriel that it worked, and we’ll let him know later how it works when using it in the field.” 

A chance to see Sam and ask him about the little gift Dean gave him? “Sure. Can you send me there through the portal?”

Cas can, and it’s not long before he’s on Earth. Dean breaths it in, glad for the lack of sulfur and really enjoying the food smells. Sam better have someone at the shelter who can cook local foods. Then again, he’s really not that picky. Good food is good food. 

He follows the sense of family to a large building with a weird looking woman’s face above the door. He’s sure it’s full of symbolism for Sam, but Dean doesn’t recognize it. Dean crosses the street and knocks on the door, not sure if he can just walk in. 

Nathan crosses the main hallway to open the door and see what looks like a teenager outside. “Can I help you?” No one’s knocked on the door before, so he’s not quite sure what to do here. 

“I’m looking for Sam.” The kid gives him a big smile, and Nathan recognizes a bigger version of the little smile Sam gets when hearing stories from the residents. 

“You’re his brother?” Nathan asks while stepping back to let him in. 

Dean looks at the human, surprised by the question. “Why do you ask that?” He’s not giving anything away, not until he knows more about the guy. 

“You’ve got the same smile.” The human leads him down a hallway towards a staircase. “Not sure where he is at the moment, but he’s probably in the kitchen this early in the morning. He might have plans, but I bet he’ll put them off for you.” 

Maybe. Or he’ll try to get Dean to help him. Dean wouldn’t mind that, but he definitely wants to talk to Sam about his personal relationship. “That’s fine. I assume Gabe will be with him?”

“You mean Gabriel? Probably. They’re not always together, but they definitely are most of the time.” It’d be sickening if it wasn’t so cute, watching Sam slowly come to terms with his interest in the angel. Nathan was equally slow with Paloma, so he can relate.

“Good for them.” Dean’s happy to hear it’s that obvious to others because that probably means Sam is learning to return Gabe’s interest. He just wants his brother to be as happy with Gabe as he is with Cas. 

The large room at the top of the stairs isn’t very full, but it reminds him of the kitchen in Hell, a great place to hang out and with an air of comfort. He wonders if the cook here is as lovely as Yonit. 

“Dean!” The shout draws his attention to the left where Sam grins at him, cheek to cheek. Dean runs over and throws his arms around his brother. 

“I’ve got news. You have time?” he asks, really hoping Sam has time. 

“For you, I can always make time,” Sam assures his brother, making room for him at the table. “So, what are you doing up here?”


	78. Chapter 78

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a week. Sorry for two chapters at the very end of the week. Hope you enjoy them.

“They did it.” Gabriel isn’t quite sure why he’s so surprised that Michael and Lucifer managed to make the weapon operational for the angels, but he is. When he thinks about the age of that weapon and the courage it takes to mess with magic that old, the awe makes a little more sense. “And you came up with the idea of testing it with blood? Smart.”

Dean smiles at the praise, and Sam hides his smile at Dean’s reaction. While he gets praise for his physical abilities all the time, for his smarts is a little more rare which is a shame. Dean’s smart even it isn’t always easy to measure his smarts. 

“I wasn’t about to offer to be a test subject, and I didn’t think you guys would be willing to use a prisoner that way.” Dean doesn’t really like the idea, but he’s not entirely opposed to it. They’re technically at war after all. 

Sam thinks back to his research, but he never really looked into angelic policies regarding demonic prisoners since he hasn’t needed to know. Angels as prisoners in Heaven, well he knows a lot about that, but he doesn’t know much of anything about in Hell. “So the angels now have a weapon of mass destruction against the demons.”

Gabriel and Dean nod in unison. “If a hundred demons come into a cavern, and there are ten angels to face them, the weapon can wipe out all of those demons before they can swing a sword at the first angel.”

He doubts that’ll stop the attacks in full, but Sam bets the demons will stop the full frontal assaults. “Hopefully this helps everyone in Hell be a little safer.” 

“Hopefully.” Dean pauses to eat some of the pancakes Yonatan gave him. The man isn’t quite as jolly as Yonit, looks a little too warrior like for that, but he still has a nice smile when serving food. “So, plans for the day?”

Sam was planning on working with Gabe, but it might actually work better with Dean, Gabe watching from a long distance. “Well, Michael gave us an amulet to track Chrissy, a demon recently released on Earth with bound magic. We were going to track her down and offer her space here at the shelter.”

So that’s what Michael was talking about with Sigal. They must have bound her magic together which is why they both have to make the tracking spell. “Can I help with that? Or is three people too many?”

“Well…” Sam trails off and looks at Gabe, not really sure how to phrase his request. 

“You want to go just the two of you.” Apparently he didn’t have to figure out how to say it. “What’s the logic?”

“Two demons instead of an archangel tracking her down? It seems less threatening.” Sam turns to face Gabe, not wanting to hide anything. “While your skills would be useful, I think Dean and I would be less threatening which would at least give us a chance to present our offer rather than her running and running.”

If Dean understands correctly, she’s weak enough that they’ll be able to chase her down easily enough, but that doesn’t mean they want to. “I don’t mind going with you. You’ll have to give me tips on the selling points so I can help you convince her instead of hindering it.”

Gabriel understands Sam’s point, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. The idea of Sam dealing with a demon, even a powerless one doesn’t sit well with him. There’s no magic in trickery or wiles or deception. 

“If you want to go just the two or you, there will be a few requirements.” He’ll let them go but won’t step back completely. “One, both of you wear tracking spells. Two, you wear another one that lets me hear everything. Three, if you run into demons with unbound power, you turn around and come back immediately.” That should cover all the bases, and Gabriel will stay close enough that they’re never too far from additional help. 

Dean and Sam share a look and nod. “Deal. So, Sammy, how do we do this?”

Sam shrugs, a little uncomfortable with the plan because he doesn’t have one. “I don’t really know. I was hoping that making it clear we know what she is will be enough to get her to listen to us. Then her interest in the idea will be enough for her to keep listening.”

Not much of a plan. Dean doesn’t know that they can make an effective plan without knowing how this Chrissy will react, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make some bullet points. “We should have at least three specific points about why she should stay at the shelter.”

“A chance for education to get a job that makes a lot of money.” Money means power on Earth, and Gabriel knows demons love power regardless of Sin. 

“A chance to learn how to live without magic without dealing with the consequences of not knowing how.” Without his magic, Sam isn’t sure he’d do so well. He can barely cook without magic, even with Dean teaching him some things. 

“A chance to make connections, something that can make sure she has support.” Dean loves having a family, having others to help him make sure Sam is safe so he’s not alone. 

Sam whips out a piece of paper, summoning it from his room along with a pen to take notes. Odds are, he’ll remember without them, but better safe than sorry. “Alright. The spell is pretty accurate up close, but it’s not so great at a distance. We have to walk the city until we’re close enough for the amulet to activate.”

That’s probably the downside of binding a demon’s magic, probably the only one. “No problem. It’s been a while since we had a chance to talk.” They had a short bit after dinner, but this could be hours. Even if they talk about light topics, he wants a chance to talk with his brother. 

Sam nods and leans into Gabe. “How long will it take for you to put together the spells we need to take with us?”

Gabriel laughs and leans in to kiss Sam on the cheek. “No time at all. I’ve always been prepared for the chance that you’d go out on your own for more than just walking the city with Paloma.” That’s not alone, but she’s not an angel either. “I’ve already got the amulets charmed, just need a drop of blood from each of you to activate them.”

Of course he does. Sam appreciates just how thoughtful and proactive Gabe is. “Thank you.” He returns the kiss with a chaste kiss on the lips, ignoring the big grin on Dean’s face. They can talk about this later while out walking. 

Like Gabe promises, it's not long before Sam and Dean are out walking around the city. The tracking amulet will heat up when it gets close enough to use, so Sam holds it in his pocket while focusing on their conversation. 

“Tell me all about it,” Dean demands, barely waiting for them to be far enough away from the shelter they don’t have to worry about eavesdropping. “Have you practiced with the things I gave you yet?”

“Well…” Sam trails off, looking down at his feet because he can’t look at Dean while talking about these things. “I didn’t actually need it. I got practice with the real thing instead.” If he really thinks about it, he can still almost taste and feel his dick in his mouth.

Dean has given Cas dozens of blowjobs, over and over, but he was never all that nervous about it. Sam is totally different, and he hopes that it’s just as enjoyable for him. “And? Did it go well?”

“He came, so that’s a pretty good sign of success.” Trust Sam to state the obvious. “I can’t get too much in my mouth yet, but Gabe said it was good, and he’s definitely willing to let me practice all I want.”

Of course he is. Dean doesn’t know anyone who would turn down a blowjob. “And did he do the same for you?”

Sam smiles because he can still feel that too. “Yeah, he did, and I want to get that good. I know it’s not about it being equal, him doing something because I did and vice versa, but I still want to bring him the same level of pleasure he brings me.”

Dean totally understands that. He started things with so much sex because he didn’t know how else to share his love and feelings. If Cas did something for him, he had to reciprocate. Now though, a few years into it, he doesn’t care who does what as long as they’re both happy. 

“So you’re not as worried about things anymore, about Gabe comparing you to old lovers?” Dean never worried about that with Cas, the only positive to what happened to him when he was young. 

“Nope. I’ve seen enough now to know that it doesn’t matter.” Sam feels like it was a quick turn around, super nervous to no nerves at all, but perhaps that’s just a side effect of love. “We’re going slow, but we’ll figure out what works for us along the way.” 

Huh. Dean wonders just what crazy things Gabe likes in bed but then stops because he really doesn’t need those pictures in his mind. “Anything you want to try in particular?” As long as he doesn’t picture it, talking about things should be fine. 

“Pretty much everything,” Sam admits with a little shrug. “I don’t know enough to know what I do and don’t like, so I’ll try a lot. No bodily fluids though, no serious pain, and no ‘daddy’ kink. Between reading some books and seeing you and Cas, I do know I don’t want those.” 

Dean’s a little relieved to hear that because it’d be kind of weird to have two daddies in the house. “If you want any tips, let me know. I’ll give you all the tips I can think of.” 

Sam appreciates the offer and tells his brother while hugging him. “I’ll let you know, but I’ll probably turn to books first. Habit and proximity.” 

“Whatever works best for you as long as you remember that I’m here for you.” Dean wants to ask just how explicit a book on sex written by angels will get, but Sam gasps and pulls his hand out of his pocket. 

“It just got warm. We have directions now.” Sam was expecting it to take a lot longer for them to get close enough to use the amulet, but this works out nicely. 

Dean pulls out two knives, one per hand with an illusion that makes them look like a water bottle and a cheap phone. Theoretically, this demon should be pretty harmless, but he wants to be ready just in case. 

They walk in silence now, more focused on their task than their conversation. This part of town is a little seedy, vacant buildings with some squatters, people with empty, hungry stares. Without magic, Dean wouldn’t come here with just Sam because there’s safety in numbers. He really hopes they find Chrissy sooner rather later. 

Sam relies on Dean for safety, focused on the amulet. The arrow hasn’t changed direction, so he’s pretty sure Chrissy isn’t moving which is convenient. When the dot indicating her position moves away from the edge and closer to the center, Sam looks up to see a park with rusted playground equipment and dying trees. Maybe he can help out here too, not just the shelter. The residents might like a nice place outside to hang out at. 

“On the bench,” Dean says, drawing Sam’s attention to the left like the amulet indicates. He heads over to see a woman lying on the bench who has clearly seen better days. If the tattered clothes weren’t enough of an indicator, the smell would be. 

“Chrissy?” The woman on the bench looks up at Sam. 

“The fuck you want?”

“A chance to talk,” Dean tells her. “It comes with an offer of a free meal, whatever you want.” They have human money, so it’s the least they can do. 

Chrissy sits up on the bench, curious but cautious. Her magic might be bound, and they might have illusions on, but she can still recognize two demons. “I want a shower and a place to stay tonight too.” 

“Deal.” If she agrees to come to the shelter, it’ll be even easier to follow through on that. 

She’s not too sure about these two, but she can’t turn down the offer of free food. “Fine. Follow me.” This free food is coming from the only place in town that makes a halfway decent pizza. She’s starving. 

Literally. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's so earnest and adorable, and I love him so much!!


	79. Chapter 79

Sigal assembles her squad together in a cave to go over their next mission. They’re getting a little antsy, but she’s not the one delivering the briefing this time. Training and discipline are strong though, so the chatter and mutters don’t get too loud. 

“Sorry for the delay.” Trust Commander Castiel to bring silence with only a few words. “This task has been only recently planned, so I was still working out some of the final details. What you learn here may not be discussed with anyone until I tell you so.”

The angels exchange looks but don’t start talking again. Sigal steps up to the Commander’s side to give the information that she knows. “For us, this is mostly like any other raid we go on. Our scouts have located a cache of slaves being held in a cave with minimal security. Rumor has it, they’re being slated for energy draining and execution.”

Fucking demons. Jonam shakes his head at the idea of killing someone just because they can’t do a job anymore. Angels don’t normally run into that problem, but for the angels that do need help, they’re given it. No angel is ever killed by anyone other than a demon. 

“Our task is to rescue the humans so that we can bring them here for a meal then take them up to Sam and his shelter.” Bit said, Sigal steps back to let the Commander fill in the rest of the details. 

“I will join you to test out a new weapon.” Castiel removes the spell hiding it then waits for the gasps to fade. Some of these angels probably remember seeing demons wield it. “Michael and Lucifer were able to switch its purpose. Now it targets demons and can only be used by angels. A few tests on blood have proved that, but we need to test it in the field.”

Karmit raises her hand, not too sure about this. “You’re completely sure it won’t target angels?”

“In a controlled environment, yes. I’m hoping to find a few demons and remove them before they can reach you and the humans. If we can confirm that it works on demons rather than just demonic blood, then we can start testing it with angels and demons in the same room,” Castiel explains. He has faith in the magic, but they have to be sure. 

That sounds logical to Karmit, so she settles back into her seat, satisfied for the moment. 

It sucks to say it, but Castiel refuses to lie to them. “One reason you were chosen is because you’re an elite unit that often takes the most dangerous tasks. Even before it became mandatory, you carried the spells to trigger a shut down rather than death.” 

Every angel in the unit, Sigal included, nods their agreement. They’ve always know their chances of a nasty death are higher than many of the other angels in Hell, but being killed by an angel still doesn’t appeal. 

“You will do your job, and I will be behind you doing my own task,” Castiel continues. “Don’t think about me; focus on your job. I’m mostly going with you to reduce the number of portals in demonic territory.” 

Sigal steps up for the final details. “We leave in an hour. Take this time to make any changes to your armor or weapons you feel are necessary based on the knowledge that Commander Castiel may bring a few more demons at us than usual. Make sure you’re back here on time.” 

The angels scatter through the corridors to get their own equipment keeping in mind the rule against talking about the weapon that Commander Castiel will use. They tell people they’re going on a raid, explaining why they’ll be missing, but nothing more than that. No one banned them from saying that after all. 

After they move through the portal, Commander Castiel heads his own way while Sigal leads her people to the right. Elias is at her side following the directions from the scouts while the others keep an eye out for demons. 

“Hold.” Tzufit puts up a fist for those who can’t hear her, the sense of demon stronger here than before. She uses a mirror spell to check around the corner to see what she can see. “Four demons, two swords. Two angels enough.”

Noe steps up to her side, and the two dash around the corner to get as close as possible before getting spotted. He cracks his whip, catching a demon with a sword around the neck and pulls it into his knife directly through the heart. 

An empty handed demon reaches for the sword but has a knife through its throat before it even gets close. Tzufit prefers to throw her knives, the other two demons already down on the floor with knives in their throats. 

“Corridor clear,” Noe announces after checking for any additional demons. All he can sense is humans with strong enough intensity that there’s going to be a lot of them. 

Sigal and the others catch up, and she pulls out an unlocking amulet. If all else fails, she can just demolish the door, but attempting to bring down the locking spell is safer for the people in the room. Lucky for them, the spell is one of the weakest she’s ever encountered, probably because all they have are humans here. 

The door vanishes, and Sigal stares. “Damn.” She’s never seen so many humans in one place in Hell before. 

At least thirty people look up at her with hollow, hopeless eyes. Men, women, and children, none of them appearing old enough to be put down. Fucking demons. 

“What do you want?” Stuart doesn’t recognize any of the demons in front of them which means he knows nothing. 

“We’re trying to get you out of here,” Bina tells them, pitying them. “We’re angels, not demons, and we want to help.”

“You’re a little late for that,” Molly spits. Had they been a few days earlier, she’d still have all of her fingers. 

There’s a human phrase ‘better late than never,’ but Signal doesn’t think that now is the time. “We’re sorry, but we only recently learned where you are.” She’d tell them more, but they really can’t afford to linger. “We’d like to get you out and take you to a shelter on Earth where you can get help and readjust to life on Earth. Will you come with us?”

The humans talk among themselves, and the angels do their best not to listen in, trying to give them some privacy. Eventually they all decide to come with the angels, even the group of five that has separated itself from the rest of the humans. 

“How does this work?” Alan asks while helping some of the kids to their feet. They’re the weakest of all the prisoners, but he doesn’t want to see any of them fall behind. “Do you just wave a hand and flap your wings and poof, we’re on Earth?”

If only it was that easy. “No. We’ll use a portal to get everyone back to the portion of Hell the angels control, and we’ll take a break for food and water. Then we’ll take a different portal up to Earth.” 

That sounds overly complicated, but he’s not going to complain too much as long as they get out of here. “And you can help us with the weak who can’t walk?”

“We’ll do our best.” Sigal starts directing her angels to separate the strong from the weak, relatively speaking. A few humans are strong enough to carry children, but half of the angels are occupied carrying the rest which means they can’t defend anyone. If this collapses, Sigal really hopes that Commander Castiel comes back with a weapon that works. 

They make their way back towards the portal slowly but surely. A steady pace is the only positive thing at the moment, so Sigal tries to focus on that. She doesn’t sense any demons around which is another positive. “How often did they check on you?” If she knows that, perhaps she can figure out how long they should have to get out. 

Eric looks at the woman, surprised that she said something to him. “Uh, maybe every other day. It’s been a few days since they checked on us though.” 

Shit. Sigal does her best to start funneling energy towards the flagging humans, hoping it’s enough to get them through the portal. Footsteps approach, and she stiffens up, hand on her sword before she recognizes Commander Castiel.

“Damn, that’s a lot of humans,” he tells her, like she didn’t already know. “This works, so you have coverage if necessary.” 

While she wants to see how it works, she’d prefer to get out without running into any demons. “Good. We might need it with them slowing us down.”

Castiel nods and lets everyone pass to take up the rear. As he watches the humans, there’s something odd about a few of them, but he can’t tell quite what. They’re probably just from another country than the others, a slight clash of cultures making the others stick out. 

They’re close, so damn close to the portal entrance when demons appear out of nowhere surrounding them. “Shit.” Normally a dozen demons would be no problem for seventeen angels, but with eight holding up humans and so many humans around, they’re fucked. 

“Tsk tsk,” one man says, sauntering forward with a smirk. “You really should know better than to steal from Gluttony.”

Still better than Greed. Sigal draws her sword and prepares herself for battle. “And you should know better than to slaughter people because you feel like it.” 

He laughs and draws his own sword, an odd energy building in the air at the same time. It takes a moment for her to realize that it’s coming from behind her, not the demons in front of her. “Angels, humans down and close your eyes.” 

Instinct takes over, and Sigal drops to the ground when Commander Castiel orders it. The other angels drop as well, pulling the humans down along with them. Magic hums around them all as Commander Castiel aims the weapon at the demons. Next comes a flash of light before the scent of copper fills the air. 

Bloody Hell. Arms, legs, and organs cover the corridor and blood paints the wall where the demons used to stand. It’s a weapon of mass destruction for sure. Sigal never saw it in action when used against angels, and she’s incredibly grateful for that. 

“Clearly it works,” Commander Castiel announces, “and there’s no threat to humans either.” He holds out a hand to pick up Sigal. “We need to get moving in case the wave of energy summons more demons.” 

Sigal starts pushing people to move faster, and the humans don’t argue. The carnage left behind is likely all the motivation they need to move fast. They manage to get through the portal with no further problems, first stop the kitchen. 

“Hadas, can you got get a couple medics here? These guys are a little beat up and could use some help.” Sigal almost calls them ‘the humans,’ but that’s a little rude to their faces. 

She heads off and Sigal refocuses on getting everyone settled. Those who can sit at the tables. Those who can’t lie on the benches to wait for medical staff. Yonit has put together a variety of simple soups and sandwiches to get them options for something to eat along with water and juice. 

Fay wants to jump right into the food, but she’s not sure she’s completely sold on the idea that this isn’t an elaborate trick. With all the things she seen over the last few decades, she wouldn't put it past them. Then again, they were going to kill her anyway, so she might as well eat and die full. 

Once she and Stuart start eating, the others follow suit. If she and Stuart don’t fall over dead, then the food’s either fine or a slow burn poison they won’t figure out until it’s too late. Might as well eat. 

She’s worried about the kids though. They should be as hungry as she is, but none of them are eating instead just sitting there. Fay takes some of the grilled cheese sandwiches and crosses over to the kids. “Hungry?”

The kids blink up at her but don’t really react. No one nods their head or shakes their head or anything. This is not good at all. 

“Here.” A grandmotherly looking angel steps up with a tray of mugs. “Anyone want hot chocolate?” She sits cross legged on the floor and takes one of the mugs, sipping it with a smile. “You should probably start with the healthy foods, but there’s nothing wrong with having some chocolate to start.” 

One of the younger girls crawls forward to kneel right at the edge of the tray. “Just chocolate? You don’t have marshmallows?”

The angel lets out a dramatic gasp while widening her eyes. A few kids giggle, so Fay figures she got what she wanted. “I forgot the marshmallows!” A wave of her hand summons a bowl from the kitchen full of mini marshmallows. “Better?”

The girl giggles and dumps several marshmallows in a mug before taking it and starting to drink. “I’m Kenya. What’s your name?” 

“My name’s Yonit.” She smiles and moves back a bit, the distance giving several others the courage to come get their own mugs. Fay agrees that healthy food would be better, but this is definitely better than nothing. Maybe this rescue will actually turn out alright. 


	80. Chapter 80

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I've been writing more than editing. Here are your two chapters for the week!

Lucifer blinks a few times trying to figure out where he is. Michael is close by, and there’s no sense of danger, but they’re definitely still in Hell. A hand closing around his hand tells him Michael is awake too. 

“You’re awake.” He turns to see an angel standing next to the bed who Lucifer doesn’t quite recognize. He kind of looks familiar but not quite. “Commander Castiel and his mate brought you two in here with magical exhaustion. You’ve been out for less than a day which is a lot less time than it should have taken for you to wake up.”

Michael recognizes the voice of Adriyel who has given him plenty of health reports on his soldiers over the decades. “Can you figure out why we woke up earlier?”

“Perhaps.” Adriyel takes a seat on a stool between the two beds while staying clear of the clasped hands. “I could run a few tests, but I have two guesses already. One, Lucifer has increased his connection to Hell, giving him a chance to replenish himself faster and feeding the progress to the mate.” 

“The other thing that may have helped is use of whatever object caused your exhaustion.” The two mates exchange a look that tells Adriyel he won’t find out what that object was. “If it’s used, its magic may settle what happened to your magic.” 

Michael nods, understanding the logic. Knowing him and Lucifer, it’s probably a mix of the two. “Does that mean we can head out? If the wea-  _ object  _ was used, I’d like to check with Castiel to see how it worked.”

Adriyel would prefer that they stay for observation, but he knows better than to require it. “You may leave. If you have any signs of exhaustion, physical or magical, please come back here to let me know.”

Lucifer nods his agreement and climbs out of bed. He’s not as steady on his feet as he’d like, but some food from the kitchen will help deal with that. “Come on.” He holds out an arm for Michael to take as they head out. 

“What do you think?” Michael asks once they’re far enough away from the medical cave for privacy. “Did Castiel use the weapon?”

“No idea. The bigger question is if it worked if he used it.” Lucifer really hopes that it works so the whole backlash and magical exhaustion are worth it. “I hope it works, although not working period is better than working against angels.”

“For sure. No matter what happened, it was worth trying,” Michael assures his mate, squeezing his arm tighter. “Let’s head for the kitchens. I’m starving at this point.” 

“Agreed.” 

When they arrive though, it’s not what they were expecting at all. Yonit sits on the ground talking to several human children, and human adults fill up the benches for two tables. There must have been a raid while they were out. 

“Michael!” He turns to the right to see Castiel waving him over. They weave their way through the tables to his side. “I thought you weren’t supposed to wake up for another day at least.” 

“Well, apparently not.” Michael move to sit down only to have Lucifer pull him into his lap. That works too. “Adriyel has a few theories, but I’m not sure we’ll ever know.”

“Did you use it?” Lucifer asks, leaning around Michael in his lap. It takes a moment, but the question clicks in Castiel’s mind. 

“I did, and it worked. Nasty thing, really, but it worked, and that’s really all that matters.” Castiel doesn’t particularly want to use it himself, but it’d be worth it to keep his soldiers safe. “Even working, we should limit the number of people with access to the weapon. I’m not sure everyone could handle it properly.” 

“How so?” Lucifer never used the weapons even if he did make them since he’d be a target. “Is it that hard to use?”

“It channels a lot of energy,” Castiel explains, ushering them away from the humans, “and there’s a chance it could explode or go awry if the user was too weak. It could also cause magic exhaustion I’d expect.”

Well, damn. “Then we limit it to just seraphim, Lucifer, and me to start,” Michael declares, “and once we’ve used it enough to be comfortable with it, then we’ll expand out to others. However, only commanders. That is simply too powerful for everyone to have access to it.”

Castiel relaxes a little, much more content after hearing that. While he trusts the soldiers he works with, that doesn’t mean they’re perfect. Power can go to anyone’s head, and angels are not immune. “Good. Now, let’s work towards getting these survivors up to Sam’s shelter. I’ll take them and spend some time on Earth with Dean.”

“Enjoy your break.” He’s earned one in Lucifer’s mind given the amount of time he’s spent in Hell with Dean. Castiel has spent much longer in Hell, but it’s different when you have a mate, especially a new one. 

“Thanks.” Castiel walks back over to the humans to start getting to know them a bit and watch to see when they’ll be ready to travel to Earth, not wanting to rush them. 

Up on Earth, Sam and Dean watch Chrissy eat her fifth slice of pizza, starting on the second half. Apparently life on Earth hasn’t been too kind. Dean wants some himself, pizza not too common in Hell, but he waits because it’s for her. 

After her sixth slice, Chrissy sits back and gestures for the kids to take the rest which they do. She’ll just get them to order another one for her before they leave. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“We wanted to offer you some help,” Sam says, wiping his hands off on his napkin. “Have you heard about the shelter in town?”

Chrissy narrows her eyes. There aren’t a lot of places to get help in town, but the few she’s heard of are run by women. “I don’t think so. Tell me.” 

The younger boy tells her all about a shelter to help humans rescued from demons, and she tries to figure out where she fits. “We have a favor to ask if you stay, but you don’t have to say yes to it even if you stay.”

Sure, they might live with angels, but they’re still demons; there's always something in it for them. “Why the fuck would you let a demon stay with a bunch of people rescued from demons?”

“Because demons can be just as nasty to demons as they can be to humans.” Dean shrugs, not wanting to touch on his personal experiences but willing to if necessary. “And some demons might as well be human, power-wise, and all survivors deserve help.” That’s something he’s learned to accept with Cas’ help. 

Apparently angels have a serious influence on people. “So you’ll tell people that I’m a demon?”

“If they ask, yes.” Sam has no interest in lying to the other residents, not after everything they’ve been through. “But telling them that you’re another victim of demon violence is the truth.”

“So I’m supposed to lie and come up with some kind of life on Earth when they ask about me?” Chrissy is not going to deal with that at all. 

“No, you can tell them the truth,” Sam assures her, “but we’ll have to show them that you don’t have any magic. As much as we want you to stay, want to ask a favor in return, we won’t upset the majority of the residents for one resident.”

“For a demon, you mean.” Some things never change. No matter how much people want to change the way they act, demons still get fucked. 

“No, a resident.” Sam remembers Jack, one of the first residents. “We kicked out a resident because he was sexually harassing several female residents, and he was human. We’re trying to create an environment where everyone can live, and your actions matter far more than your species. You don’t have to be best friends, but you have to be polite to each other.”

Perhaps she can work with that. Then again, she can pull out the whole ‘life ruined by demonic machinations’ card that applies to all of them. “What do you want in return?”

Sam and Dean share a look. That’s not a promise, but it’s a step in the right direction. “Two things, but they kind of go together. One, we want to know what you hear regarding other demons in the area. Once you don’t have to worry about food and shelter, you’ll have more time to talk to people. 

“Two, once you’re settled in, we hope you could talk to other demons rescued and brought to the shelter. We’ve had several come through but none have been willing to stay.” They have enough space that Sam could even set up a separate space for sleeping and learning for the demon residents, the kitchen and training grounds shared in shifts. 

It sounds nice, a chance to sleep on a bed, a chance to have a full belly, but there are some strings, and Chrissy isn’t sure she really wants to deal with being an ambassador for the shelter. “And if I want to stay past one night, I have to agree to this?”

“No.” The kid shakes his head without taking a moment to think. “If you stay, you stay because we want to help you even if you don’t believe us. Anything you choose to do to help is just an extra for us.”

“There is the chance that it’ll help your security,” the older one adds with a little shrug, “telling us what you hear about demons, but you don’t have to do it.” 

There it is, the little bit of demonic pressure that frames what they want for her benefit. “I’ll think about that second part, talking other demons into staying with you. The listening to demons and reporting back to you, that I’ll do because you’re right, it’ll help me too.”

She pauses for a moment, trying to figure out if she wants to make an offer. Chrissy really doesn’t want to keep living outside and scrounging food, so she offers. “And you can take my reports with charms to test for the truth. It’ll save you the time of double checking everything.”

Sam hadn’t even considered that, but he’s sure it would have come up as soon as she started reporting things. “Thank you for that.” He pushes down the sense of accomplishment because now isn’t the time. “Would you like another pizza or would you prefer to head back to the shelter? There’s more food there too.”

Chrissy seriously considers another pizza, but there’s no reason to get greedy. “I’m good with just the one pizza.” And she really wants a shower. “Anything I need to know before we get there?”

“Just please be polite. Everyone, human, angel, or demon, can be an ass, and that doesn’t help anyone.” Sam tosses enough cash to the table to cover the pizza and Dean’s soda while standing up. “I don’t say this because you’re a demon, I say this because you’re new to a community that’s managing pretty well right now.”

To be honest, that’s all she really wants. She didn’t mind Wrath under Abaddon, but the chaos since Paimon took over was irritating. And then with dealing with this shit since coming to Earth, she just wants a place to stay. “I’ll do my best.” She won’t promise anything else, and she’s glad when they don’t press her for more. 

Dean waves his hand to create a little bubble around him and Sam so they can talk without Chrissy hearing them. “Do you really think this is going to work?” He’d like to be optimistic, but she’s old enough that she’s probably been mean a lot longer than she’s been nice. 

Sam shrugs, not really sure. Desperation can change a person, so he’d like to try and give her the benefit of the doubt. “We’ll have to wait and see, literally. I hope it works though. I really do want to try and help demons.” 

Of course he does. Dean smiles at his brother and drops the spell. If the demon does anything to hurt Sam or the shelter, he’ll deal with her because he’s not going to let anything hinder his brother. 


	81. Chapter 81

Chrissy stares at the gorgon over the door. She didn’t meet Medusa, but she’s heard about her. The Greek ‘gods’ were really just angels living on Earth and messing with the humans. It took several trials to figure out how the angels wanted to present themselves and their Father to humans before settling on Christianity. 

The other methods were recorded, but they fell out of style, mostly. The idea of Allah managed to stick around fairly well. 

“Welcome.” Sam opens the door and ushers her in, Dean following behind. “The ground floor is dedicated to the training grounds and medical care. Second floor is kitchen and class rooms, and third and fourth floors are bedrooms.”

Impressive. “Is it real stuff or magic?” Hell obviously has walls and ceilings and floors, but there’s plenty of magic in their space too. 

“At the moment, all real,” Sam tells her. “If there’s a need due to an increase in residents, then we’ll use magical expansions.” 

Real is good. That means she doesn’t have to worry about not being able to use something because she doesn’t have magic. Probably because they have humans there too. “Do we share rooms?”

“Depends. The people who come up together tend to start in a dorm room like setting,” Sam waves off the two angels approaching from the side, “but they all get their own beds and can get their own room as soon as they want. They’re not too big, mostly just for sleeping, so it’s easier to have several rooms.”

Chrissy hasn’t shared a bed room in decades, but she’ll manage. “And what’s the last time you had new residents?”

“It’s been a bit since we rescued anyone,” Dean tells her, thinking back to the last time he saw humans in the kitchen, “but I think they’re planning another raid soon.”

Great, more humans. Chrissy isn’t entirely sold on that part of things; she might actually prefer to deal with angels. “And the showers?”

“Down here. There are toilets on all floors, but the showers are down here for after training,” Sam says. It was easier than putting the piping and such needed for showers on the third and fourth floors too. Things might change once they begin magical expansions because it’s easier with magic. 

“I’ll lead you over there, and there are clothes near the showers for when you’re done,” Dean says, leaving Sam to talk to the angels.

He nods at his brother then moves to the side to talk to Enoch and Elrad. They look at him with blank faces hiding their expressions. “Yes, she’s a demon. I told you when we started that we would offer shelter to demons as well.”

Enoch shakes his head. Maybe you actually can be too helpful and caring. “That’s not a demon held as a slave though. Her magic was bound by Michael; we can sense his signature on her.” 

“I know.” Sam leads them back to the medical rooms to make sure they’ll have some warning before someone walks in on them. “But we can use a demon to tell us what demons in the area are saying, and she’s bound, so her magic can’t hurt us. Besides, you saw her. She’s desperate.”

“And if she lies to us? Or tells demons in the area about us?” Elrad asks. “Sure, they probably already know about us, but she can give them details regarding security and numbers and such.”

Sam shrugs, not too worried about it and hoping that explaining why makes them relax. “Watching us long enough will give anyone numbers. As a demon, she can only sense how much magic is around, not what it does, how to trigger it, or how to use it. That doesn’t seem all that useful to me.” 

Elrad still isn’t too sure about this, a demon with bound magic rather than one naturally as weak as a human. “As long as we guards get a veto vote. We can give her a chance, but if we start having issues, especially with security, we’ll have to reconsider her staying here.” 

“Deal. While this started as my dream, I need you all to pull it off, and I don’t want to force you into something you refuse to do.” Sam has the power, he’s the one in charge, but he really doesn’t want to abuse it. 

“And when the humans ask about her?” She doesn’t look like a demon, just enough magic left to hide her wings and tail, but Enoch knows that the current residents will have questions.

“She’s a demon whose life was thrown into chaos by more powerful demons scheming against each other.” Sam gives a little shrug, eyes wide with impressive innocence. “When given a chance, she turned herself over to the angels to give them information then took their offer to come to Earth.”

Damn, he’s good at storytelling, and Enoch might even believe him if he didn’t know better. “Is that what actually happened?”

“More or less, at least that’s how Michael remembers it.” Sam doesn’t really care about the minor details since he knows Michael wouldn’t send him a dangerous demon. That and it’ll be better for Chrissy to create her own story so the details don’t contradict each other. 

“Alright.” Enoch makes a note to go find the other angels and fill them in on the situation. A little advance warning might have been nice, but if she had said no, it would have been for nothing. If Gabriel supports this, then he’ll just have to trust them. 

Sam heads upstairs to find Gabe and tell him that Chrissy decided to work with them, but then the doorbell rings. He does not have time for this right now. “Gabe, can we talk for a second?”

“Gotta get the door,” Gabriel tells him while shaking his head. “I got a message saying Sigal’s bringing a large group of humans up, Cassie coming along to help.”

Well, shit. “Chrissy’s taking a shower downstairs. Maybe we can just lump her in with the others for introductions and rules and such.” The humans coming in won’t know her, but it’s the best timing they’ll get. 

Gabriel takes Sam’s hand to bring him back downstairs. “We’ll figure it out. There’s thirty humans this time, almost doubling residency if they all stay. Let’s focus on getting them settled along with Chrissy and deal with what she is later.”

There’s no time to respond because they’re in front of Sigal, Castiel, and thirty ragged looking humans. “Welcome,” Sam tells them with a small smile while spreading his hands. “I know that things have been difficult for you all, and we’d like to help you while you adjust to living on Earth again.

“You’ll have a place to stay, warm meals, and showers immediately. Once you’ve settled, we offer classes, job training and physical training to help you learn the skills you may need to restart your life.” Sam takes a small step back so Gabe can step up. 

“You’re not required to stay,” Gabriel tells them, “and if you choose to leave, we’ll give you some funds and resources so you have some help. And if you decide to stay then later choose to leave, you can do that as well. We are here for you as long as you’d like to use our resources, and we will never require you to stay.” 

Stuart looks at the kid talking to them and tries to figure out what it is about him. There’s something just slightly off about him. “What’s in it for you?”

The kid frowns a little while tilting his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“Most people don’t offer to help out for nothing,” he tells the kid, “so what’s in it for you?” While he’s inclined to stay at the moment, Stuart at least wants to know the strings attached before agreeing. 

Sam pauses for a moment. “There’s not really anything in it for me. I have access to funding, and I know what it’s like to be abused by demons. I feel better when I get to help others, so I guess that’s what I get out of it.” 

Sounds too good to be true, but some people are just bleeding hearts. “What did they do to you?”

“That’s not something I care to share at the moment,” the kid admits with a little shrug. “I’m still working on it, and sharing still isn’t easy.” 

Stuart has no interest in sharing his story, so he gets it. Might as well give it a shot. Not like he speaks Portuguese. “Fine. You got any food around here? They fed us down there, but getting food again just made me more hungry.”

That’s a lot easier to deal with than his past, so Sam starts ushering people towards the stairs. “Just upstairs, we’ll lead you right to the kitchens. There are leftovers as well as several sandwiches and soups that we have on a regular basis. Feel free to eat per what you can handle.”

“And there will be another resident joining you once she finishes a shower,” Dean adds, popping out behind them all with a smile. “She’s been up here on Earth for a while but didn’t come to us before today.” 

“Why not, if you’re letting everyone stay?” Lara asks, curious about this other person staying with them. 

“She didn’t want to stay before,” Sam tells her with a shrug. “Like I said, we won’t make anyone stay if they don’t want to.” It wasn’t offered to her, no, but she wasn’t keen on help at the time anyway. 

Huh. Nice to know that they’ll let them come back. “Cool. Any chance you’ve got chocolate around here?”

Sam laughs and links arms with his brother as they follow the humans up the stairs, Gabe leading the pack. “Of course we do.” There’s always someone who wants chocolate, and they learned early on to always have a lot on hand. 

The humans settle in to eat, the current residents mixing in and telling them about life in the shelter. Five of the potential residents separate themselves from the rest of the group, barely talking to each other, so Sam keeps an eye on them. If something’s wrong, if they’re in shock and going to snap out of it later, he hopes he or someone else can help them. 

Eric sits next to them with a glass of water. “Hey, how are you guys doing?”

One of the women look up at him with something in her eyes that makes him wary. “Fine. Food and shelter and not in Hell. Much better than we’ve been.” 

“That’s for sure.” Eric smiles at them and introduces himself. 

“Tessa,” the woman says, pointing at herself, “and Yasmin, Olivia, Oscar, and Isaac. We were taken and held together, separate from the others.” 

He smiles at them but doesn’t say anything else. Tessa’s the only one who bothers looking up from the table, and even she looks back down as soon as she finishes talking. When Larissa calls him over to talk to some of the others, Eric hops up and leaves the others to their table. 

“Friendly bunch, aren’t they?” ‘Olivia’ mutters under her breath. “Hope they learn to leave us alone.”

‘Tessa’ snorts her disbelief. “With a bunch of do-gooder angels who want to help demons? I doubt it.”

Before Olivia can reply, another new person enters the kitchen, and they have to stifle the instinct to hiss. A demon? They already have a demon staying with them? This is not okay. Tessa drops her eyes to make sure the demon can’t catch her gaze.

Who knows how much power the demon still has?

“Chrissy, feel better after a shower?” Sam asks, gesturing for her to take a seat. 

She nods, looking at all of the humans around her. This is going to take some getting used to. “Not hard to feel better, given where I was staying.” 

“Where were you staying?” one of the humans asks, and she pushes down her first instinct to snap at the human. Chrissy has no power here, isn’t any better than the others. She can sneer and be a bitch or answer and have a chance at an easier life here. 

Might as well try. “I was on the streets,” she explains, grabbing a candy bar. Let’s see just how smart this kid’s plan is. And if all she gets out of it are a few showers and meals, it’s better than nothing. Time to see if the kid's actions live up to his words. 


	82. Chapter 82

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little loving for both brothers. Sam and Dean deserve it!

Dean watches the humans eating and Chrissy sitting next to them without looking too uncomfortable. Hopefully that means that things will work out well for Sam. He wants to talk to them, but there’s something in the air that’s making his skin crawl, and he can’t focus. 

“Hello, baby boy.” The low whisper in his ear makes him jerk to attention even as arms wrap around his waist from behind. “Sigal let me come along so I could visit you. How are things on Earth?”

“So much better now,” Dean tells Cas, spinning in his arms and hugging him back. He really hopes that whatever Cas wants to do, there’s time for them together. Sure, they’ve been in Hell together, but they’ve been too tired and busy for sex recently. 

It really, really sucks. 

“Good.” Castiel shifts them around so he can kiss his mate, ignoring the humans and angels around them. “Let’s get out of here.” Spending time with Dean and being around him is great, but a chance to be together with nothing else to worry about, no threat of attack at any moment. 

Dean looks to the right, and Sam gives a little wave like he knows exactly what Castiel has planned for his brother. With permission to leave, Dean turns back to Castiel with a smile and tightens his arms around his neck. “Where are we going?”

Castiel just smiles and closes his eyes, whispering the spell to take them to the hotel room he set up. Tonight is all about his mate and making him feel loved and appreciated. “Do you like it?”

Turning a small circle, Dean stares at the room. It’s obviously a hotel, some things can’t be changed, but there are lots of small touches too. Dinner on the table that smells like hamburgers. Flowers on the bed that mean love, devotion, friendship, and all sorts of other positive things. Chocolates next to the bed for eating and maybe even play. 

The candle and the feather and the fluffy cuffs are definitely for play. 

“I love it, Daddy.” Dean gives his mate a huge smile before heading over to the table. It’s not really dinner time, but he totally doesn’t care. He wants the burger.

Castiel scoops him up and sits in the chair, Dean in his lap. He removes the lids on the food and grabs a knife to cut the burger into bite sized pieces. “Here you go, baby.” Dean opens his mouth, and Castiel feeds him, one bite at a time. 

As if the feeding isn’t enough, Daddy starts touching him too. It’s not super sexual, but Dean can’t help squirming. Fingers trailing along his thighs make him shiver. Little kisses pressed to his neck makes his lower body clench with anticipation. The strong arm against his stomach making him feel so secure. 

“Thank you, Daddy,” Dean tells him once he’s done feeding him the burger. “Can I have the fries too?” He flutters his lashes at Daddy, totally unnecessary but so much fun to do. 

“Anything for you, baby boy.” Castiel kisses his cheeks before feeding him the fries a few at a time. He licks his fingers after every bite, each little contact making Castiel harder and harder. 

When the plate is empty, Castiel shifts his mate in his lap to kiss him soundly. Their tongues twist and wrap around each other, and Dean starts whimpering into Castiel’s mouth. The sounds go straight to his cock, and he’s not going to last much longer. 

“Please, Daddy, please,” Dean begs, head falling back on his shoulders, too weak to hold it up. He grinds down into Daddy’s lap, wanting his cock in his ass. He starts using his tail to get under Daddy’s clothes, but a hand closes around the base of his tail, sparking pleasure through his body and derailing his plans. “Please!”

“Relax, baby boy.” Daddy strokes his tail several times while walking somewhere. Then there’s something soft against his back, and Dean smiles because if he’s on the bed, then things are starting to move faster which means he’s going to get what he wants. 

Dean wriggles into the sheets with a smile, waiting to see what comes first. Is Daddy going to touch him? Going to kiss him? Going to just dive in and lick his ass? Or suck his dick? What’s Daddy going to do first?

Castiel pauses for a moment to just look at his mate. Pale skin just waiting to be marked up, svelte limbs that hold him so close, large eyes full of love. They say the words often enough, but tonight he wants to  _ show  _ his mate just how much he loves him. 

Starting at the bottom, Castiel wraps his fingers around his ankles to raise his feet. He presses little kisses from heel to toe, smiling at the little giggles they generate. “Ticklish, baby boy?” Dean just giggles again, not responding. 

After rubbing his feet, a short massage that generates several lovely moans, Castiel starts pressing kisses up his legs. “Such a beautiful boy for me.” He pauses for a moment on the graceful curve of his calves, licking the soft skin before kissing again.

“Strong but delicate.” Daddy moves up to Dean’s thighs, little nips among the kisses now. Dean can barely keep still, hips wanting to roll on the bed, and when Daddy runs the tip of his tongue over his balls, Dean caves. 

His hips try to bring his balls as close to Daddy’s mouth as possible, but two strong hands keep him pinned to the bed. “Soft and perfect,” Daddy praises him, kisses still moving all over his thighs. 

Dean can barely take it. They’re just kisses, little touches of Daddy’s lips he’s felt dozens of times. This time feels different though, each kiss echoing through his body to be felt from head to toe and everywhere in between. 

A hand makes its way to Daddy’s hair, the touch grounding him among all the sensations from the kisses. As Daddy moves his way up Dean’s body, his arousal increases and his ability to think decreases. 

“Exquisite beauty,” Castiel announces while dipping his tongue into his boy’s belly button. He laved his balls a few times, but he skips his dick, wanting to get him interested and aroused without it. And at the moment, it’s more about showing his love than the sex. 

“Fragile little thing.” His tongue traces Dean’s ribs, focusing on each one individually. Little whimpers spill from Dean’s lips with each movement, and Castiel smiles even as the fingers in his hair tighten to the edge of pain. 

When Castiel reaches his collarbone, he changes the words. “Love you so much.” Castiel stars kissing again, lingering longer after the kisses, soaking in the blush spreading along Dean’s body. 

“Love how you support your brother.” Kisses along the side of his neck tracing the veins under the skin. 

“Love how you help everyone in Hell.” Tracing the shell of his ear with the tip of his tongue. 

“Love how you learn more so you can support me.” Eyelids, nose, and forehead each get their own kiss. 

“Love you so much, baby.” Finally, a kiss on his lips. Dean lets Daddy control it, lets him use his mouth in another way to show him how much he’s loved. Daddy missed his arms and fingers, but they can get to that next time. 

“Love you too, Daddy.” And he does, he really does, but right now, he wants a little bit more to go along with the love. Dean shifts so that he can wrap his legs around Daddy’s waist while making sure that he’s ready for more. 

Daddy trails fingers down his torso then must take himself in hand because the next thing Dean feels is pressure against his ass just before Daddy slips all the way inside. “So good for me, baby boy.” 

Daddy moves slowly, tip to root with each stroke, balls slapping against his ass. Dean moves into each thrust, the small shift of his hips to make sure the head of Daddy’s cock drags over his prostate. 

It’s the slowest loving he’s ever gotten, but Dean loves it. 

Instead of arousal pushing him higher, this time it’s love. Daddy’s knee knocks against his calf, and Dean remembers the kisses and being called beautiful. A wing appears and brushes his collarbones, and Dean remembers more praise. 

Love wells up inside him, so much Dean can’t stay quiet anymore. “Love you too, Daddy!” he shouts this time, little sobs following the words. Daddy hushes him while still moving inside him, and it’s all too much. 

Another sob wells up out of him, and Dean cums, making a mess against Castiel’s chest. Watching his boy cum is all Castiel needs, and he follows, shooting deep inside Dean. Wrung out physically and emotionally, Castiel falls to his side on the bed, wings wrapping Dean up close to his chest. 

“Love you, Daddy,” Dean mutters, eyes closed as he cuddles as close as possible. “Gonna do the same to you next time.” 

Castiel smiles and presses a kiss to the top of Dean’s head. “Whatever you want, baby boy.” He closes his eyes after a quick spell to clean them off and falls asleep with his mate, glad to have this night together. 

\----------

Sam watches his brother leave the kitchen followed by his mate. Someone’s getting lucky tonight. Although to be fair, he’s probably going to get lucky too, once he decides what he wants to try tonight. They could do something they’ve already done before, but Sam wants to keep trying new things, having new experiences. 

“He caught a ride to Earth just to fuck his mate.” Gabe makes mock judging sounds while shaking his head. “You’d think living together would be enough that one day apart would be alright.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t smell like sulfur up here,” Sam reminds Gabe before one of the new residents steals his attention with some questions. They spend several hours with the residents before they can make their own escape to Sam’s room. 

After a quick shower, Sam sits in the middle of his bed waiting for Gabe to finish his shower. He wants to try something new but doesn’t want to go too wild with things, and he has an idea of what he wants. 

Gabriel walks out of the bathroom still toweling off his hair to see a nervous boy on the bed. He flashes a smile while continuing to work on his hair. “You tired enough to sleep, or do you have other plans for the night?”

“Um…” The way Sam looks down at his lap tells Gabriel that he has plans but doesn’t know how to express them. “Well, I wanted to try something with you.”

“Alright.” Gabriel sits on the bed, close to Sam but far enough away that they aren’t touching. “What are you thinking?”

Sam takes a breath to build his courage. He really shouldn’t be this nervous with Gabe anymore, but he is. He probably will be as long as they’re trying new things. “I want to try what you did to me, but to you.” He blushes at the awkward phrasing even while wiggling his fingers and praying that Gabe understands. 

There’s a moment of silence then a small chuckle. “Well, we’re going to need a little lube for that, and I know we have that, so no worries. How do you want me?”

“What do you mean?” Sam frowns and now looks up at Gabe, trying to understand. “I assumed it’d be the same way that you did it.” 

“Well, I can do that,” Gabe agrees, rolling over to lie on his stomach, “but I could also lie on my back if you want to see my face, or I could get up.” He shifts to get up on his knees, face still against the bed, ass in the air. 

Sam chokes on his tongue. That way.  _ Definitely  _ that way. With Gabe’s ass up in the air like that, Sam has to touch him. He rubs his hands over the soft skin there before leaning in to press kisses to his ass. 

“I like your ass,” he admits with a blush while waving his hand to summon the lube. Gabe used oil, but he prefers lube. “It’s tight and round, and I’m sure there’s some magic involved beyond just your workouts, and it’s amazing.” 

Gabriel chuckles, doing his best to hide the sound in the pillow so Sam doesn’t think he’s laughing at him. He wiggles his ass and gets a little slap on it in response. Gabriel can hear Sam suck in a breath, but he ignores it, just wiggles his ass again. He’s not opposed to a little spanking, and he wants to make sure Sam doesn’t worry about the spank. 

He stays still while waiting, not wanting to push Sam into anything. A hand lands on his ass again, more a heavy pat than a spank, then Sam’s hand rubs the heat into his muscles. Gabriel can’t help the little moan that slips out, and Sam pauses again. 

“You like that?” Gabriel can’t tell if it’s surprise or shock in his voice. “Like, not just put up with it but actually like it?”

He rolls his head enough to free his mouth to talk. “I’m not opposed to a little pain. Done right, it can spice things up, and we can do as much or as little of that as you want tonight.”

Sam considers it for a moment, but he’s not really ready to do that much. He rubs over Gabe’s ass a few more times, but doesn’t spank him again. Instead he leans in and kisses his ass a few times. It’s really nice because not only is his skin really soft there, but he can smell Gabe extra strong there, something he’ll never get enough of. 

Gabe’s body is relaxed and pliant, so Sam reaches over for the lube. He’s not sure if he should start with his finger or Gabe’s asshole, so he decides to do both. The lube feels cold on his skin, and he wonders what it feels like to Gabe. 

It looks amazing to Sam, the lube making his asshole glisten and makes Sam want to get his hands all over him. Well, his fingers on it at least. He starts with his pointer finger and presses just a little. When nothing really happens, Sam presses a little harder, and his finger pops just inside Gabe’s body. 

It’s amazing. Warm and soft, Gabe’s body surrounds his finger as Sam presses deeper inside until he reaches the bottom. Sam lets out a little moan at the feelings, and Gabe moans along with him. Curious, Sam pulls his finger out and presses back in, pulling another moan out of Gabe. 

“Making me feel amazing, babe,” Gabriel tells Sam doing everything he can to not move. Just a little to the left would be right on his prostate, but he can be patient. Kind of. “Want to do that again, in and out?”

The finger inside him moves back and forth several times, each one making Gabriel’s dick grow harder and harder. He can’t keep his hips still any more, slowly rocking along with the movements from Sam’s finger. 

And then eureka. Gabriel groans and tilts his hips up higher to make it easier for Sam to get inside him. Sam’s finger brushes over then presses into his prostate, forcing several jets of precum to drip on the bed. 

He sounds amazing. Gabe’s made several sexy noises, but that’s the best noise that Sam’s heard since they started doing that. Sam has no idea what he just hit, but the spot feels a little different than the rest of Gabe, so at least he knows how to find it again. 

Sam wants to hear that noise again, but not quite yet. Pulling his finger out, Sam adds a little more lube to be safe and slides two fingers back inside Gabe, finding that spot perfectly. 

When Gabe’s hips start rolling in response, the power goes to Sam’s head. He’s the one who can make such a strong angel grip the sheets and wantonly moan. Sam moves pumps his fingers in and out several times, making sure to hit that spot every time until Gabe’s a mess.

He manages to get four fingers moving in and out, but it’s awkward, not too fast, so Sam shifts back to three fingers and focuses on that one spot inside Gabe. He lets out little noises each time Sam touches the spot until he screams while cumming on the sheets. 

Gabriel’s ass tightens around Sam’s fingers as he cums, and he can hear the little gasp from Sam. He doesn’t mind a little over-sensitivity, but he’s more interested in cuddling Sam than a potential second orgasm. “Can you take your fingers out, now? Really sensitive.”

Sam lets out another gasp, not so sexy this time, and pulls his fingers out. Gabriel winces at the odd feeling then rolls over to his back, ignoring the wet spot, and pulling Sam down to cuddle onto his chest. 

“Amazing, baby, amazing.” Gabriel has enough energy left to lean down and kiss Sam on top of the head. “So good for a first time.” 

Sam smiles to himself while working to clean up their messes. Lube is great when it’s used, but the stickiness afterwards is not nice. “What was that, the spot that made you feel amazing, and me too?”

“It’s called your prostate,” Gabe tells him, turning out the lights at the same time. “Really sensitive and feels amazing. That’s the thing to aim for whenever you’re inside a man.”

“As long as it’s only you I’m inside,” Sam mutters. It’s an awkward phrase, but it’s the sentiment that matters. 

“That sounds good.” Gabe tightens his arms around Sam and kisses him on the forehead this time. “I wouldn’t want you anywhere else. Anything else you want to learn, I’ll teach you, even if you don’t know that you know yet that you want to learn it.”

That’s good because there’s lots about sex that Sam doesn’t know and probably more that he doesn’t know that he doesn’t know. They’ll get there eventually, together. He’s pretty sure that’s all that really matters. 


	83. Chapter 83

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick shout out as we near the end of the story to my beta. I forget her name on AO3, but she knows who she is. So many thanks especially after such a wonky chapter as this one. Never seen so many errors in one chapter before. Must have been a bad day for spelling.

Paimon sits on this throne waiting for his generals to appear. They need to plan, and he can’t do it on his own. They’re going to go after Lust, and he wants to make sure that their plan is as foolproof as possible. 

While waiting, Paimon spares a thought for Jacob and his plans. They seem to be going well, and that’d better continue. He needs to have as much power as possible before going up against another Sin. Humans are so easy to rile up, so it can’t be too difficult to generate enough anger and wrath to power him through this. 

“Your Majesty.” Jacob falls back on very proper behavior, bowing deep to Wrath and drawing his attention to all of the demons in the throne room. “Your servants are here to present their plans to you.” 

Wrath nods, so Jacob takes a step to the side to take his place as Master of Ceremonies for this event. Each Commander will present his plan, discuss what he’s bringing to the table, and how he’ll set things up for the next Commander. 

Along with the plan though, they’re going to do everything they can to make themselves look good. Plenty of demons tend to run on and on to make sure that they cover everything, don’t leave any holes in the plan. But then they’re droning on, and it’s impossible to listen to, and that’s bad in its own way. 

There’s no such thing as a perfect presentation, and they all end up trying the same thing over and over, wondering if they’ll be the one to finally make it. 

He gestures Pithius forwards who dips into a deep bow while addressing Wrath. “My men consist of two squads with two lieutenants, four sergeants, and forty scouts across two squads. There are two main entrances to Lust’s territory that we plan to utilize.” 

As he continues, Jacob pulls on the spells to create the large holographic maps of the areas Pithius is talking about. The spell links to the speakers, dots showing up to indicate where Pithius plans to lead his troops. They move along with his words and gestures to be as thorough as possible. 

Pithius lays out his plan for getting scouts and spies into Lust’s territory to bring back the intel they need to update their plans as they go. He keeps his eyes on the others in the room while presenting. Most appear bored or in agreement which is better than disagreeing. 

“As soon as we have enough information, the scouts will return to run messages to other commanders to advise them. They’ll stay active until you all decide they’re no longer needed.” Finished, he bows to Wrath and takes a step back. 

Paimon studies the map for a moment, watching the dots run back and forth mimicking Pithius’ last statement of the scouts reporting to other commanders. Seems realistic to him, as much as a plan can before it’s tested. “Any commentary?”

No one raises a hand, so Paimon dismisses the dots and gestures for Furfur. The commander steps up to the center of the room, nodding at Pithius to acknowledge his commentary then bows to Paimon to acknowledge his power. 

“The two entrances that Pithius wants to use work for us as well. We’ll have defenses built there from his men passing through,” Furfur gestures to make defenses appear along with the dots for soldiers, “which gives us a solid foundation to start.”

He walks around the table, waiting for Wrath’s minion to increase the territory covered by the map. “This is the second place I want to go in. The first several klicks of territory here is empty making it even easier to establish defenses.

“If we get enough people set up here, we can launch a two pronged attack, make them fight a war on two fronts, splitting their forces and weakening him.” 

Everyone in the room nods along, even Wrath, more support than Pithius received. Some agreed with him but not all, and Furfur hides his smile at his superior plan. “It’ll be a bit of a surprise attack, helping us wipe out more of Lust’s numbers than he can easily prepare for.” 

Wrath gets up from his throne to walk closer and study the dots and defenses Furfur added to the map. He gives him enough room to walk around without hovering, not wanting to make him mad but needing to make sure he learns what he needs. “Do you have enough men to defend that much territory?”

“I believe so,” Furfur ducks his head to hide the scheming on his face, “although a few more troops wouldn’t be a hardship.”

A hush falls as everyone waits to see what Wrath will do. If he permits more troops, then perhaps others can get more from him. If he lashes out with a denial, everyone knows to stay quiet. “Perhaps. We’ll see how things progress.”

That went better than it could have. Furfur would have preferred to have it approved all at once, but a possible yes is better than no with a punishment. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He bows and steps back, his presentation complete. 

Another demon steps up with another bow, eyes narrowed at Furfur. “My soldiers will step up next, to further the work Commander Furfur has done, so he should not need additional soldiers.” 

Naberus refuses to let Furfur steal his spotlight. He hasn’t led soldiers in such high numbers for decades, but that’s because Abaddon didn’t like him, not because he lacked the skills. He will do anything to get in the good graces of the new Wrath. 

Unfortunately, he’s the second wave of soldiers which means building off the successes of another. He’ll have chances to shine but not as many as if he was going first. Naberus just needs to focus on the fact that he was chosen as a Commander period. 

He focuses on the element that separates him from Furfur the most. “We’ll utilize a newer weapon that my people have been developing for you. Instead of using specific spells or weapons, it simply fires large blasts of energy at demons, enough to overwhelm them and leave them vulnerable to attack while disoriented.

“Additionally, a spell assists with targeting. Once the weapon is aimed at a demon, it will send a blast at that demon even if it’s not still pointed at the demon. It has a ten second memory allowing for multiple targets with one pull of the trigger.” 

That is his specialty, developing new spells and weapons. Naberus tends to have more failures than successes, a sad reality of research, but they completed this one just in time. The more enemies they can take out at once the better. 

Unfortunately, it can take out their people as well, and his team hasn’t found something to counter that yet. Then again, it’s not like a few extra deaths in the middle of a war zone will be noticed. He just has to prove that it’s effective enough to get Wrath to like the idea of increasing support for the research department. 

Abaddon never liked them that much. 

Paimon narrows his eyes at the Commander presenting his current plans. Rumors regarding the research department in Wrath have existed forever, but they’re rarely more than rumors. Clearly they exist, but he wonders where they get the funds and support given that he’s never given them anything, at least not that he knows of. 

“Make sure that it actually does what you say it does. If it destroys too many of our own men,” Paimon warns, pointing a finger at the Commander, “I’ll take it out of you, understand?”

The Commander bows, acknowledging the warning in his words before taking a step back. Paimon was hoping to hear a little more about this weapon, but whatever. He’ll wait to see what Jacob says about it after the battle tests it out. 

Luna steps up last, the final Commander to present a plan. The order came out of nowhere, but she’ll take it. Jacob has Wrath’s ear which gives her a slight connection, but doing something for herself is even better. 

“We will clear the way for you, Your Majesty, so that you can handle Lust yourself.” Luna nods to Jacob who manipulates the map to zoom in then follow the path previous waves of soldiers will make. 

“My men have trained in following the power of magic and scents rather than just power.” Jacob follows her fingers, setting up a bright dot in the middle where they currently think the throne room rests. “This enables us to focus on Lust himself rather than large groupings of demons that join to provide a distraction.”

Wrath moves closer to the map watching the little dots move around that don’t really say much. It makes sense to her because she’s the one with the plan, but it’s not easy to explain the theory without showing it as well. “You truly believe you can track just Lust, avoid the phonies?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. They’re all Lust demons, so they all have a bit of Lust’s scent in them. This gave us the focus for our tracking spell, and we used the power ratio of you to your lowest soldiers to determine how much power we needed to find to locate Lust.” She didn’t work with Wrath before his promotion, so this could go right over his head, but she really hopes not. 

Several moments later, Wrath nods while heading back to his throne. “Is that all you’ll do? Lead me to Lust?”

Luna pauses, not sure what to say but knowing she has to say something. “The main focus for my men is to defend you while getting you to Lust. We can handle his men; we just need you to handle him. However, if you want us to do something else, we can.” 

Wrath looks at her for a moment then nods. “Very well. I will have my guard with me as well as an added precaution. While I trust your people to do their job, there’s no reason not to take every precaution. War is messy.” 

Nodding, Luna steps back to be flanked by her generals. They’re fully competent in defending Wrath, and adding new soldiers to the mix could cause more problems than solutions. She’ll do whatever he says while keeping him alive.

That’s her job after all. 

Jacob watches as everyone files out of the throne room trading glances with Luna. She didn’t look too happy about Wrath bringing his own men, but the little shrug says she’ll manage. Once it’s just him and Wrath, he drops the projection and turns to face him. “That went well.”

“Well enough. I’m not sure how much I trust them, but the plans seem sound. Hopefully they can all think on their feet when the plans go to shit.” Paimon paces at the base of his throne. Although he picked the Commanders, he had limited resources, just what Abaddon left him after he got rid of those too loyal to her to properly serve him. 

“Be honest. Do you think we can kill Lust, break this binding they put on us?” Paimon looks over his shoulder, curious to see just how much ass kissing Jacob still does. 

There’s a moment of hesitation, then a shrug. “If things go as planned, if enough soldiers make it into Lust’s territory, I think we have a chance. Lust focuses on pleasure more than warring.” Jacob takes a seat in a random chair looking over at Paimon but not meeting his eyes. “But if he gets wind of the attack before we go, if he has serious contingency plans that are out of character because he uses them to justify his relaxed lifestyle?”

Jacob trails off with a little shrug. “If he decides to fight back fully, this could be harder than expected. You’re going to need as much power as possible to get through this.” 

“Then let’s go check up on the researchers. We can ramp up their spells today, give me a few days to adjust to the new power,” Paimon decides while heading to the door, “so that we can deal with Lust and remove the damn binding.” 

He is Wrath now, a Sin, and it’s about time he has a chance to rule his territory without restriction. 


End file.
